NBA Lagos Law Week Commences June 10
Steve Aya
The Annual Law Week of the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will be held from June 10 to 16, 2024.
The Branch announced the date and theme for its 2024 Annual Law Week, during a press conference held at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, 401 Close, Banana Island, Ikoyi, to herald the event.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Branch, Olabisi Makanjuola stated: “The Law Week is scheduled to be held from 10th to 16th June, 2024. It promises to be innovative, enlightening, informative, and transformative. The Law Week Committee is putting up a Law Week that is positively different from what we have been experiencing. It will be very relevant to every Lawyer who is a member of the Branch, regardless of the sector one may find himself or herself. For the first time, there will be a Bar and Bench forum where Judges and Lawyers are expected to discuss serious issues regarding the relationship between the Bar and the Bench, and also be a post-Law Week Implementation Committee to ensure that the communiqué from the week does not become another mere historical document, but ensure it receives the necessary attention and implementation required.
In her speech, the Chairperson of the Law Week Committee, Mrs Folashade Alli, SAN, said “I am glad to announce that NBA Lagos Branch Law Week 2024 is coming up on 10-16 June 2024, in Lagos. The theme for this year’s conference is “Charting New Legal Frontiers: The Practice of Law in Nigeria, Cross Border Alliance and Partnerships”. She stated that this theme was chosen, because legal services are changing globally. The practice of law is also changing everywhere, from Accra, Doula, London to New York. Some Nigerian law firms, now have offices outside Nigeria. Foreign law firms are also entering Nigeria, mostly through mergers and affiliations with local firms. These developments are projected to continue and even expand in scope, as more Nigerian Lawyers and law firms explore business growth”, Mrs Alli, SAN explained.
“The question is: Are Nigerian Lawyers ready to benefit from this global change, or will we continue to overlook and underestimate the pressure that globalisation of legal services is exerting on the legal services in Nigeria?
“Is Nigeria going to continue to maintain a protectionist approach, or will we be proactive by initiating master alliances for cross-border legal services?
“Lastly, what role is Premier Bar playing, given its preeminence as the Premier Bar, and most of the leading law firms that are active in cross-border practice are located in Lagos?
“This year’s Law Week promises to be parked, filled with various activities ranging from a Bar-Bench day, democracy walk, plenary sessions, law clinic, Elders night, law week party, and raffle draw amongst other activities”, Mrs Alli, SAN further explained.
“Other activities announced as part of the law week are visits to the Prison and Motherless homes, New Wigs Forum, and Health walk/talk, as well as a novelty football match and Family Day which will take place at the Muri Okunla Park on the 15th of June.
“The Keynote Address for this year’s Law Week will be delivered by Mr Segun Oshintogun, the Global Senior Partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, an international law firm with well over 1000 Lawyers.”
Mrs Alli then urged all Lawyers to clear their calendars, and save the dates. “You cannot afford to miss this. We will keep members updated on further developments in this regard”, she added.
