By Chinelo Audrey Ofoegbunam, Esq, ACIARb (UK), ACArb, AICMC, ACIS
Treasurer, NBA Abuja Branch (2022-2024)
Introduction
Many lawyers are sitting on gold mines without even knowing it. The contracts, lectures, eBooks, templates, articles, and presentations you have created over the years? They are not just work. They are intellectual property (IP) and IP is one of the most underutilized wealth-building tools in the legal profession.
While you may not have a tech startup or a music catalog, you do have something incredibly valuable: knowledge and when that knowledge is packaged, protected, and properly monetized, it becomes an income-generating asset.
This week, we are diving into how lawyers can build wealth through intellectual property. If you are a lawyer looking to earn beyond the courtroom or boardroom, this is your playbook.
1: Rethinking What You Own — The Lawyer as a Creator
Most lawyers do not see themselves as creators. But let’s change that.
Think about this:
1. Have you ever created a training manual for junior lawyers?
2. Written an article or legal commentary?
3. Delivered a Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development presentation?
4. Designed a legal checklist, draft, or standard form?
Congratulations. You are already an IP owner.
Now imagine turning those creations into products that people pay for repeatedly. This is how your legal brain becomes your business.
2: The Three Pillars of IP Income for Lawyers
A. Licensing – Get Paid Without Giving It Away
Licensing lets others use your intellectual property while you retain ownership.
1. Did you design a bundle of contract templates for startups? License them to legal-tech platforms.
2. Delivered killer compliance training? License it to HR departments or law firms for internal use.
3. Recorded a video series on IP law? License it to online learning platforms or universities.
With licensing, one product can feed you for years.
B. Trademarks – Branding that Builds Value
You might be surprised how much your brand is worth if you have a signature phrase, course, newsletter, or legal tool, trademark it.
1. A niche legal blog name
2. The name of your law-themed podcast
3. A catchphrase used in your consulting practice
Once registered, your trademarked brand becomes a defensible, ownable asset that you can expand, license, or even sell in the future.
3. Copyright – Turn Legal Knowledge Into Digital Real Estate
Copyright protects your original works—everything from:
1. Articles and blog posts
2. Ebooks and whitepapers
3. Presentation slides
4. Recorded webinars
5. Courses and audio content
The beauty of copyright is that you earn while you sleep.
Imagine creating an online course on “Real Estate Law for Beginners” and earning royalties every time someone downloads or subscribes.
You have turned your experience into digital real estate that brings you consistent returns.
3: Practical Paths for the Nigerian Lawyer
What can you do right now in Nigeria to start monetizing your IP?
a) Publish a Legal Resource Guide
Compile your best templates, guides, or how-to tips into an eBook and sell it online. Platforms like Selar, Paystack Storefront, and Amazon KDP make this easy.
b) Launch a Niche Legal Course
Pick a topic you know well and use platforms like Teachable or Thinkific to host your course and collect payments globally.
c) Host Paid Legal Masterclasses
Turn your Continuing Professional Development presentation into a premium masterclass series. Charge per session or offer annual access.
d) Collaborate with Creators and Startups
Provide legal templates or checklists to legal tech founders or platforms in exchange for royalties or licensing fees.
PART 4: Protect It Before You Profit From It
Before you start monetizing your IP, protect it:
1. Register copyrights with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC).
2. File trademarks with the Trademarks, Patents, and Designs Registry.
3. Use contracts when licensing your works to others—clarifying how, where, and for how long it can be used.
Your brain is your business—treat it like a portfolio.
Final Words – The Shift from Billable to Bankable
Legal knowledge is more than service, I is intellectual capital.
Once you start treating your work as content, your expertise as property, and your brand as a business, you will stop chasing clients and start building assets.
This is not the future. This is now.
Lawyers who understand IP will earn more, and work less.
Connect with me on Social Media:
X: CIAO Legal
LinkedIn: Chinelo Audrey Ofoegbunam
Instagram: CIAO Legal
Facebook: Chinelo Ofoegbunam
