LIFE AFTER LAW SCHOOL 1

Life after law school is not the hardest life one can live, but it can be hard if care is not taken. Nothing, and no one, prepares you for life after law school.

Certainly, some of the new wigs will start off well, earn nothing less than ₦400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) at the beginning of their legal career, enjoy luxury, and live like they are already 10 (ten) years at the Bar. But even that may not last longer than 1 (one) year if they are not smart towards retaining that luxurious life.

I have heard it said that the ones who get to enjoy luxurious offices and hefty salaries at the beginning of their legal career are the proactive ones, not necessarily the most brilliant.

The gravest mistake some of my colleagues made and why most of them are still earning less than ₦100,000 (Hundred Thousand Naira) up until now was not applying to law firms early. Some earn as low as ₦30,000 (Thirty Thousand Naira). They all regret it till date. It is however worthy of note that timeous application does not guarantee automatic acceptance, neither does it mean you will certainly earn over and above ₦100,000 (Hundred Thousand Naira). What it does, is to give you a high chance of getting into a top law firm. Besides it is better to do the right thing at the right time and know that at least you did all you could. Not to forget that your credentials are as important as applying to law firms early.

Honestly, I truly believe that as a lawyer you can have a great career and determine the kind of future you want simply by being proactive, as being proactive rewards handsomely.

While in Law School, most of the Bar Aspirants are focused totally on their programme, without ever stopping to think about “Life After Law School”.

For most of them, until they’ve written Bar Finals, seen their results, and registered for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, they will not begin to apply to Law Firms. If you are this impetuous, you may land in what some of my colleague’s call “Boutique Law Firms” in its narrow sense.

So, when is the best time to start sending your applications to Law Firms for an NYSC Associate position?

The answer is: immediately you return from Court and Chamber attachment. If you have any doubt, kindly reach out to your seniors in top law firms and inquire from them. But I trust you believe me and would put this advice to work and as you do, kudos to you 💪. However, if you are reading this as a law student or law graduate who is yet to undergo law school, I recommend you apply for internship in big law firms. This would grant you a high chance of being employed as a lawyer in that law firm after Law School.

Procedurally, at every Law School session, after Chamber and Court Attachment, comes 2 (two) weeks of Portfolio Assessment (PA), and more often than not, it is not conducted with lectures simultaneously except on rare occasions. Consequently, these 2 (two) weeks of no lecture, would avail you with the time you need to submit your applications and have your interviews before the commencement of lectures and final preparations for the “almighty Bar Finals”. Before the PA starts, a Schedule for the PA, that is, a timetable containing various names of Bar Aspirants, the date of their PA and the names of lecturers in their panel (usually, a three-man panel) will be circulated to help you know the date and time for your PA. As such, it is best to utilize the rest of that 2 weeks of PA to prepare your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Cover letter. It is also a good time to send your application to ALL the top law firms in Nigeria while waiting to appear before the panel for your portfolio assessment.

Your application letter should be titled “Application For The Position Of NYSC Associate” unless the law firm you are applying to requires otherwise. This you will likely find on their website.

Endeavor to prepare a good CV (consult professionals if you must for guidance) and submit it to ALL the top Law Firms in Nigeria, (the most famous ones would most likely have their headquarters in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt).

Note: That the emphasis is on ALL the top Law Firms in Nigeria. You shouldn’t prefer one firm to another at this point. Firms are notorious in ignoring applications, and if you’re lucky, a firm may respond to your application and schedule you for an interview. Even then, you may not get the role. So, apply to as many as you can, rack up those offers as they come and choose what’s best for you. Still, know that spaces are usually limited so don't go to bed after sending your application, check your mail/spam from time to time.

Note: Also, that this article is a series, I shall post the names, physical addresses, and email addresses, as well as other necessary information on top law firms in Nigeria in the next episode. I will also be sharing information on NYSC, the issues of accommodation, and how you can possibly navigate them.

I look forward to your questions, observations, stories collaborating this series in the comment section.

See you at the next episode of Life After Law School.

Shalom!