Legal analyst Carl Umegboro has stood up for junior lawyers who find it difficult to attend the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) Annual General Conference (AGC).
Umegboro said law firms where they work should be able to support them to attend the annual programme.
Umegboro in a press statement on Saturday criticised the failure of most law firms to extend support to junior lawyers, many of whom earn as low as ₦100,000 or slightly above.
He said: “This event is held only once a year, yet many junior lawyers working in well-known firms cannot afford to attend because their principals refuse to support them.
“How can a lawyer earning barely enough to cover rent, transportation, and basic needs pay such fees? It is unrealistic,” Umegboro said.
The NBA-AGC, he emphasised, remains the only nationwide platform for lawyers to learn, network, and build valuable professional relationships outside the courtroom environment.
Umegboro argued that participation in the AGC is vital for shaping young lawyers, fostering mentorship, and encouraging long-term commitment to the profession, far more effectively than virtual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions alone.
From random checks, he noted, only a handful of firms sponsor their junior lawyers for the annual gathering.
Reasonably, law firms should at least budget for their juniors’ registration fees.
“The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane,” Umegboro said, quoting Mahatma Gandhi.
He commended the NBA under the leadership of Afam Osigwe (SAN) for introducing key reforms, including this year’s first-ever subsidised registration fees for new wigs.
While applauding the NBA’s leadership for its innovations, Umegboro urged principals of law firms to rethink their approach.
He warned that the continued neglect of junior lawyers may demoralise them and ultimately hinder the profession’s growth.
