NIGERIA’S BEST KEPT LEGAL SECRETS SERIES – SECRET ONE PT 2

BEYOND CASE LAWS: NAVIGATE THE MAZE OF LEGAL PRACTICE BY STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants” 

– Isaac Newton

In the last publication of this series, I attempted to establish for us the need to take our reading seriously. I will complete my attempt as it touches the secret while also helping us see the need to embrace cumulative advancement.

You may have heard or read this popular saying by Isaac Newton, written in his letter to Robert Hooke in 1675, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants”. This statement is symbolic of a particular action taken by persons of worth on their journey to success. I give you a moment to think on it and allow the saying to crystalize. Form your meaning from it before you take mine. Here is mine: originality is non-existent, authenticity is what is invaluable. 

In your journey to becoming one of the best legal practitioners, you will need to embrace the fact that nothing truly ‘originates’ from you. As a result, it is in your best interest to pick up on the brilliance of those who have gone ahead of you and build on it. How do you do this? I have a few thoughts:

GO BEYOND CASE LAW, STUDY ACADEMIC REVIEWS, JOURNALS AND ESSAYS

Academic reviews, journals and essays give us educated and detailed insights into the subject matters covered by their authors. By their very nature, they are deeply analytical and quite robust in their approach. A simpler reason is that authors of materials of this nature are often experts in the field. No ‘average joe’ legal practitioner writes an academic review or submits a body of written work to a journal.

For legal practitioners whether you are core litigators or seeking to understand the new frontiers of legal practice, I have a few recommendations:

1. Appellate Review and Analysis of Nigerian Cases by Kola’ Awodein SAN, FCTI, FICIArb.

Available on the Textbooks and Journals feature of LawPavilion Prime which I mentioned in the last publication, this review publication is an extensive compilation of analyses of cases adjudicated upon by Nigerian courts over the years. The review covers a wide range of issues. With this single body of written work, you can dive in, firsthand, into the issues of law tackled by legal professionals each day and thus distinguish yourself from the average lawyer.

2. Babcock University’s Essays On Contemporary Legal Issues

The Essays are a collection of opinions and research findings that analyse the most contemporary legal issues in the world. Interestingly, some of the articles in the journal focus on areas that are opening up in the legal sector in Nigeria, such as Digital Technology, the use of Social Media and Gender-Based Violence. The journal is also available on Prime’s Textbooks and Journals.

3. Journal of African Law by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the School of Oriental and African Studies

A peer-reviewed law review covering various laws of sub-Saharan African countries, the journal emphasizes contemporary legal issues and issues of international and comparative significance as they emanate from Africa. Wondering how you can better prepare for the AfCFTA implementation on the continent? This is a good start.

Get The Latest Addition to Textbooks and Journals on Prime Today!

OPEN UP TO THE WORLD OF WEBINARS AND LECTURES

To again state that we now live in a literarily digital world would simply be stating obvious. However, I realise still that many legal practitioners are yet to consciously awaken to this fact and engage the world accordingly. One secret to finding the mentors, guides – giants on whose shoulders you can stand – is to go to the places they are. 

Every week you will see or receive invites to no less than 15 webinars covering legal issues in Nigeria. At these events that you will conveniently find the brightest legal minds gathered together and hear their enlightening perspectives on legal issues. If you make it a habit to attend at least one per week, your knowledge gaps will quickly and easily get filled. 

Moreover, you can go the extra mile by leveraging the network that these webinars open you up to. A simple trick to employ is to go through the list of speakers and participants, create a list of those that interest or inspire you and then find them on LinkedIn and send them connection requests. If I were you, I would take it a step further by reaching out to them and engaging in meaningful conversation.

The next critical step in this secret is one that is often unmentioned or not taken seriously at all – teaching.

BECOME A TEACHER OF THE LAW

I definitely do not mean that you should switch career paths and move into academia. Conversely, I am inviting you to utilize the strongest agelong learning method; teaching. An interesting technique has been developed and is captured in 4 easy steps by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist in what is today referred to as the Feynman Technique.

Developed by physicist Richard Feynman, a man widely regarded as the most brilliant, influential, and iconoclastic figure in his field in the post-World War II era, the technique is a simple way of approaching anything new you want to learn. Why use it? Learning doesn’t happen from skimming through a book or remembering enough to pass a test. Information is learned when you can explain it and use it in a wide variety of situations. The Feynman Technique helps you turn information into knowledge that you can access as easily as a pen on your table. It is a mental model.

Here are the steps:

1. Identify the subject
2. Teach it to a child
3. Identify your knowledge gaps
4. Organize + simplify + Tell a story

When you are able to do these four things with every legal knowledge you have read or learnt, you would have, alongside all I have shared so far, been able to master the first best-kept secret of legal luminaries; becoming what you read.

Earlier, I mentioned that average-joe lawyers do not submit their written works to journal publishers. To distinguish yourself from the average lawyer, you must master the art of teaching what you know. Of teaching the law. When was the last time you pushed yourself to write an article on any subject matter in law beyond just writing briefs or final written addresses? If it has been too long, then I dare say that I cannot comfortably agree that you know the law. I align myself unequivocally with Mortimer Adler the popular American philosopher, educator, encyclopedist and former chairman of the Encyclopædia Britannica Board of Editors when he said that “The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.” 

I invite you to challenge yourself to teach what you have read or what you believe you know. Put it in a book. Write it in an essay. Publish it in a journal, many of them abound around you or share it on Social Media. People are more open to learning and you will reap personal benefits from this. Are you worried that you may not find a place to publish your written work? Approach us today and we can help get you started. I assure you, starting is the hardest part.

I’ll be back with Secret Two in the next publication.

Sincerely,

Timi

READ PART 1 OF THE SERIES HERE