Nigeria's Legal Profession in the Twenty-First Century Era: Prospects for Young Lawyers

Abstract

Initially, law practice was only open to the elite, who could frequently afford to cover their clients' legal costs. Times have changed; this is no longer the case in the twenty-first century. The legal profession is today an all-comers affair, with numerous ordinary people contending for a place in the profession's hallowed halls to make a living. Some believe that there are already too many legal practitioners in Nigeria and that the profession is no longer profitable, while others contend that we don't have enough lawyers and that we need more. The thrust of this article is to examine if the legal profession in Nigeria has reached saturation, and if not, what opportunities exist for young lawyers. Part of the findings of this study is that the Nigerian legal market is still large enough to accommodate aspiring young practitioners with experience in less established areas of law, such as telecom legislation, cybercrime law, alternative dispute resolution, intellectual property, ICT, and online legal market. The article concludes that new entrants and law graduates in the twenty-first century have a brighter or better future than ever before since their strength resides in their understanding of ICT as a practicing tool, which puts them ahead of older lawyers in the global market.