In his recently published book, The Lawyer-Client Relation: Beating Swords into Ploughshares, renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wemimo Ogunde, offers insightful commentary on the evolution of continuing legal education within the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). He particularly commends the efforts of Tobenna Erojikwe, Chairman of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) (2020-2024), for his remarkable strides in revitalising the NBA’s professional development programmes.
Ogunde highlights the significant progress made under Erojikwe’s leadership at pages 123 and 126, noting the impressive participation of 10,128 lawyers in the 12-day Criminal Litigation Training Series held in May 2023. He acknowledges this as a testament to the renewed commitment of the NBA, particularly under the Olumide Akpata-led administration (2020–2022), to strengthening continuing legal education.
While applauding these efforts, Ogunde also reflects on the broader challenge of aligning personal and professional identity within the legal profession. He underscores the importance of Rule 11(6) of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007, asserting that adherence to ethical and professional guidelines remains essential for sustaining the impact of initiatives like those spearheaded by Erojikwe.
Ogunde’s analysis positions the ICLE’s progress as a beacon of hope for the future of legal practice in Nigeria. However, he emphasises the need for the sustained implementation of continuing legal education as one of the methods for instilling the virtues of professional identity in Nigerian lawyers.
