LAW

Industry Insight

A lawyer’s job is to provide clients with practical, ‘value for money’ solutions to their legal problems.

Imagine the scene: you’re a bright, enthusiastic trainee eager to make your mark on the legal world and set the profession alight. But on the first day of your training contract, the senior partner a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) reminds you that, ‘You’re not here to enjoy yourself, or to help people, you’re here to make money!’ Is this a fatal blow to your cherished ideals, or a valuable reality check?

This might sound like a scene from a television legal drama, but it often happens this way. Job satisfaction and community service are important parts of working as a lawyer, but there are other aspects to the profession too.
Law firms offer a wide range of services to different client groups, while also aiming to thrive as businesses themselves. Being successful as a trainee and qualified lawyer depends greatly on developing a sound understanding of this culture, and how you will best fit into it.

The legal sector is a diverse and currently exciting industry to work. You can work within various industries or in practice. Many of the practice firms in Nigeria are still run by the founding members or their families, thus law firms typically are not as large as in developed countries, this will mean early responsibility though. Much of your final decision-making should be done at the ‘micro’ level by examining individual firms and the package of opportunities and experience they offer.
What services do they offer to clients? What skills do they require in trainees? What sort of people do they recruit? However, the following information should help you decide whether life as a lawyer is right for you.

The lawyer / solicitor’s role
The solicitor’s job is to find legal solutions to clients’ problems that are efficient, cost-effective and practical. On a day-to-day basis, however, solicitors’ roles may vary considerably, depending on their area of practice and the type of firm they work for. Think carefully about your personal strengths and preferences and make sure you factor them in when making your choices.

Corporate or commercial lawyers spend their time dealing with high-powered clients and making multi-million naira deals. Their clients demand a quality service that will deliver robust and viable business solutions. Increasingly, this means corporate firms provide a range of services and solutions beyond those that are ‘merely legal’.

Solicitors working predominantly with private clients often have to deal with sensitive issues such as criminal cases that are brought to court. They have a lot of direct contact with clients, so need different personal and interpersonal skills to corporate lawyers.

Key tasks
Although solicitors’ responsibilities vary, there is a range of generic tasks common to all solicitors, from new trainees to senior partners.
* Management. In the early part of trainees’ careers, ‘management’ is essentially about time-management and case-file management. With experience, solicitors become more involved in managing people and resources.
* Teamwork and support. Junior solicitors are usually supervised members of a team. In larger firms, teamwork is often the accepted way of working.
* Advising clients. This is a core task, and involves giving both legal and non-legal advice, depending on the client and the nature of their problem.
* Liaising with barristers. Legal disputes likely to go to the Higher Courts are normally barristers’ territory, although trained and qualified Solicitor Advocates now have rights of audience. Solicitors have a key role to play, where appropriate, in instructing barristers on behalf of clients, as direct public access to the Bar isn’t currently permitted. They may also need to liaise with other professionals to successfully resolve the matter.
* Research. Legal advice requires accuracy and precision, so the quality of services provided by a solicitor can depend heavily on effective research.
* Drafting. Solicitors draft formal legal documents and contracts, and provide written advice for or on behalf of their clients.
* Representation. Solicitors may represent a client in high-level negotiations over a corporate merger; or represent a client charged with theft in court.

Making plans
If you do decide to become a solicitor, the following will help kick start your career.
* Get experience. Any work experience in a legal or business environment is valuable (and increasingly expected by potential employers). Some law firms offer industrial training, which provide an insight into the law and that particular firm, and improve the employability of undergraduates.

JOB ROLES

* Solicitor

Barrister
It’s a fiercely competitive field, but if you thrive on intellectual challenge and have the confidence and ability to present a legal argument in court, you could make a great barrister. What is a career at the Bar really like?

For graduates wanting to enter the legal profession the key choice is whether to become a solicitor or barrister. Life as a barrister can be exciting and lucrative, but it is competitive and demanding too. You need to make key decisions about the best and most appropriate route to take, and your research should start here.

A barrister’s role
The typical ‘case management’ process described below usefully illustrates the role of a barrister.

Taking a brief
A barrister takes on a case, usually on instruction from a solicitor, which is essentially a legal problem made up of complex facts for which an appropriate solution is sought.

Assessing the brief
At this stage the barrister is asked to give a professional opinion on the facts. The client and his/her solicitor seek the barrister’s expert advice on the legal aspects of their case, and whether it is viable, as taking a case to court is an expensive and lengthy process.

Preparing for court
Pre-trial work involves meetings or ‘conferences’ with the client and their solicitor, further legal research and negotiations with other parties. Even at this stage, a negotiated solution may be found, thus avoiding taking the matter to court.

Going to court
In some cases, despite all this work, going to court may be the only feasible option to resolve the problem. The barrister (whether prosecuting or defending) has to present the facts and legal arguments effectively and convincingly in order to win their case.

Working with solicitors
The nature of the legal profession means that clients have to first deal with a solicitor in order to gain access to a barrister.

A solicitor may be able to sort out a legal problem themselves, but if they can’t they engage and instruct a barrister on their client’s behalf to provide expert legal opinion and advocacy. At the moment, it is primarily barristers who have rights of audience and are able to present a case before a judge and jury in the Higher Courts.
This higher-level advocacy role is the key difference between the role of the solicitor and barrister, and is one of the main reasons why people opt for the Bar. It is possible to train as a solicitor and then qualify as an Advocate, although this route takes much longer.
Alternative careers
If you want to use your legal skills, but don’t fancy working as a solicitor or barrister, why not consider the alternatives?

* Civil Service employees

What they do
* assess the effect of changes in legislation and implement changes when necessary
* support ministers by providing information on matters associated with their department or agency
* negotiate with other professionals in the private and public sectors
* manage the development and implementation of major projects.

Key skills
* written and verbal communication skills
* ability to summarise complex arguments clearly and accurately
* tact, diplomacy and neutrality
* ability to handle numerical data
* time-management skills and methodical approach.
Training
Training is undertaken on-the-job (by a series of job placements), and off-the-job.
There are also graduate opportunities in the Government Communications Headquarters and the Secret Intelligence Service.

* Company secretaries

What they do

* ensure that a company complies and operates in accordance with statutory and legal provisions
* advise managers on company law and agreements
* arrange and prepare for board and committee meetings and record minutes
* act as senior executive of the company
* manage the work of the company’s registered office.

Key skills
* good written skills and command of English
* discretion when handling confidential information
* a keen eye for detail and good knowledge of company law
* the ability to meet multiple deadlines
* numerical ability.

Training
Company secretaries of public limited companies need to be members of a professional body. Trainees must complete a period of relevant work experience and pass the four-part examination of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. Graduates with relevant degrees may be able to qualify more quickly.

* Legal executives

What they do
* are qualified lawyers, handling their own caseloads and working alongside solicitors and barristers
* advise clients in employment disputes or criminal proceedings
* draft wills, act as executors, administer estates
* issue or defend proceedings in cases such as debt or personal injury
* carry out legal and procedural work to transfer land between owners.

Key skills
* good communication
* ability to cope with pressure and solve problems
* attention to detail
* good interviewing technique.

* Legal personal assistants
What they do
* offer administrative and support services to a particular solicitor or barrister
* can be responsible for a great range of senior administrative matters
* may also have personnel management responsibilities
* manage the personal timetable of their boss, not only in connection with the firm’s activities, but also for arrangements in and out of office hours.

Key skills
* organisational skills
* good IT skills
* reliability
* flexibility
* good interpersonal skills.

* Licensed conveyancers
What they do
* work in property, but sometimes give advice on probate and related litigation
* operate mainly in private practice, but can also work for firms of solicitors or licensed conveyancers, local authorities, and banks
* handle the documentation on property sales and purchases.

Key skills
* ability to approach issues with tact and diplomacy
* excellent written and verbal skills
* problem-solving skills
* an interest in property law and research
* attention to detail and good numerical skills.

SKILLS REQUIRED

Academic achievement isn’t enough to impress employers. Demonstrating that you have transferable skills is essential if you want to work as a lawyer.

When deciding whether to pursue a law career, you need to consider whether you have the necessary skills and personal qualities. The right transferable skills are also essential if you want to stand out from the crowd.

Key skills
Although the balance varies from firm to firm, these skills are usually in demand:
* teamwork
* commercial awareness
* analytical skills
* the ability to win the trust of clients
* problem-solving ability
* communication skills
* the ability to cope under pressure.