Eastern Bar Forum Holds 2018 Conference in Port Harcourt
The garden city of Port Harcourt in Nigeria’s Rivers State was a veritable beehive of activities and events as the community of Nigerian lawyers of Eastern extraction (comprising the nine states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers) gathered for the annual conference of the Eastern Bar Forum, or EBF for short. The conference programme, which was slated for the 1st to the 3rd of February 2018, was preceded by a well-attended welcome party at the Planet Restaurant in downtown Port Harcourt on the opening day.
That wining, dining and dancing set the tone for more serious business the next day, Friday the 2nd of February, as the body of lawyers gathered at the gleaming new NBA Port Harcourt Branch House for a one-day summit titled, ‘Litigation & Auxiliary Aspects Of Law: The Young Lawyer Inside & Outside The Court Room.’
NEWSWIRE Law & Events correspondent attending the event in Port Harcourt reports that the summit, which was chaired by a university law teacher, Prof. Lady Ogugua Ikpeze, was graced by a number of notable lawyers such as the former national President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Okey Wali, SAN; Chief Arthur Obi Okafor, SAN; the Governor of the EBF, His Excellency, Chief Arthur Chukwu, Esq., among others.
In welcoming the guests to the summit, the chairman of the Young Lawyers Forum of the EBF, Goodluck Ogbom, Esq., noted that it was not only an opportunity to learn new concepts and useful ideas designed to equip the young lawyer for the challenges and opportunities of the new social and business environment, but to unlearn old and outmoded concepts as well.
In his opening remarks, the governor of the EBF, H.E. Arthur Chukwu, Esq., praised the progress achieved by the young lawyers of the eastern bar over the years, and the leadership they have demonstrated in piloting their affairs. He urged them to make the most of their deliberations at the summit, which was the first of his kind organized by the eastern bar.
Other goodwill messages came from one of the former lawyers in the eastern bar, Chief Arthur Obi Okafor, SAN; as well as the Chairman of the Port Harcourt branch of the NBA, O. V. Frank-Briggs, Esq; and the national president of the Young Lawyers Forum of the NBA, Ahmed Wada, Esq.,
The keynote speaker, Barrister Monday Onyekachi Ubani, who is also the national 1st vice-president of the NBA,. was his usual ebullient and articulate self as he laid out the do’s and don’ts of a successful litigation practice. He advised young lawyers, among others, to:
- Learn how to take briefs;
- Never charge clients lower than what they know to be their true worth;
- Prepare their processes meticulous before venturing before the court;
- Write legibly and with clarity;
- Have a good command of the English language;
- Understudy their principals;
- Always review upcoming cases well in advance – say every Friday for a court appearance the following week;
- Never stop learning; continuous legal education is an all-encompassing phenomenon.
- Be a model in or out of court.
More importantly, Ubani continued, a lawyer owes society a duty to share his or her knowledge and skills with others who benefit from it. Auxiliary services – such as alternative dispute resolution, advocacy, mediation and the exploration of new and potentially lucrative fields of legal practice –such as aviation, medicine, entertainment, telecoms, among others – offer the young lawyer the opportunity to generate additional streams of income while serving as an asset to his or her world. The senior lawyer, who has bagged many awards for his philanthropy and activism, discourage the tendency among a large number of young lawyers to emphasis the pursuit of money ahead of the quest for a reputation for integrity and excellence. Money, he repeatedly emphasized, will eventually come to those who pay their dues in the profession, whether under the tutelage of a senior colleague or as heads of their own firms. He concluded by tasking his audience to always conduct their business according to what he called ‘the Golden Rules’ of professional practice, which includes an admonition to not misappropriate the clients’ money; not to behave immorally; and to set a timetable for one’s goals.
Three other discussants – Ikeazor Akaraiwe, Esq; Chidi Henry Onyiuke, Esq; Biobele William George, Esq; and Ezinne Okwun Eme, Esq., – also throw more light on the issues under review, offering personal anecdotes of their experiences in the course of their careers so far. One of them, a young lawyer, urged his colleagues to imbibe the four Cs of Candour, Courage, Courtesy and Camaraderie.
Further comments and words of advice were also offered by Chief Okey Wali, SAN, and the chairman of the summit, Prof. Ikpeze, after which there was a question and answer session as the members of the audience raised issues such as
- the poor remuneration of young lawyers by the their employers, as well as their exclusion during negotiations on briefs, especially their financial implications and the rewards thereof;
- the need for law firms to operate sound business models like other successful corporate bodies, complete with Partnerships Associateships, and other structures designed to ensure that such businesses outlive their founders;
- The need for a review of the curriculum guiding the teaching of law in the teaching of law in our tertiary institutions of learning;
Summarizing the day’s deliberations, the chairman, Prof. Lady Ikpeze offered additional tips of her own. Describing the practice of law as an instrument of societal engineering, she urged participants to draw a line between confidence and arrogance, and to be grounded in their craft.
The conference programme continues Saturday, 3rd February, with a general meeting at the NBA Port Harcourt Branch House.
See photos below:
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