Nigerian Law School

The Nigerian Law School was set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1962 to provide a Nigerian legal education to foreign-trained lawyers, and to provide practical training for aspiring Legal Practitioners in Nigeria.^[1] Until the school was established, legal practitioners in Nigeria had received the requisite training in England and had been called to the English Bar.^[2]

Curriculum

The Law School offers course in criminal and civil litigation, property and corporate law, as well as a course in ethics. Over 70,000 students have graduated from the Nigerian Law School.^[1] Anyone who has obtained a University degree in law and wants to practice as lawyers in Nigeria must attend the Nigerian Law School. The Council of Legal Education gives certificates to students who pass the Bar Part II examinations, and these students are then called to the Bar.^[3]

Locations

The Lagos Campus was set up in 1962, moving to its current location in 1969. The law school headquarters was relocated to the town of Bwari near Abuja in 1997.^[1] At the time of the move, hostels and the main auditorium were still under construction. The town had no hospital, no telephone and banking services, and the school was constructing its own borehole to provide potable water.^[4] The Augustine Nnamani Campus is located in Agbani, Enugu State. A fourth campus is located in Bagauda, Kano State.^[3]

News

In August 2009, a legal practitioner, Asbayir Abubakar, called for reductions in the fees paid at the Nigerian Law School in order to accommodate the less-privileged into the legal profession.^[5] In November 2009, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Tahir Mamman, said that students who passed through unauthorized law faculties would not be admitted into the Nigerian Law School. He said the Council of Legal Education will refer law Professors and teachers managing illegal law faculties to the disciplinary committee of the Body of Benchers.^[6] Also in November 2009, the Council of Legal Education said it would call 3,374 students to the Bar after successfully completing their bar final examinations at the Law School. These were the first students to be trained using the new curriculum.^[7]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Nigerian Law School Lagos Campus: About Us". Nigerian Law School Lagos Campus. http://www.lawschoollagos.org/about. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
2. ^ Leesi Ebenezer Mitee (29 March 2008). "Introduction to Nigerian Legal Education". Nigerian Law Resources. http://nigerianlawresources.com/introduction_to_nigerian_legal_education_leesi_ebenezer_mitee.html. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Legal Education". International Centre for Nigerian Law. http://www.nigeria-law.org/Legal%20Education.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
4. ^ Tunde Fatunde (13 February 1998). "Law school's mystery flit". Times Higher Education. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=105871&sectioncode=26. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
5. ^ Isa Abdulsalami (August 11, 2009). "Lawyer seeks reduction in Law School fees". OnlineNigeria. http://news.onlinenigeria.com/templates/?a=7072. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
6. ^ Funso Muraina (8 November 2009). "Law School Warns Against Illegal Faculties". This Day. http://allafrica.com/stories/200911090528.html. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
7. ^ Tobi Soniyi (11/4/2009). "Law School graduates 3,374 new lawyers". The Punch. http://www.punchng.com/Article2Print.aspx?theartic=Art200911041353546. Retrieved 2009-11-21.