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52-708: The Nigerian Law School is an educational institution set up to provide professional certification to graduates of law . The school was established in Lagos under the Legal Education Act 1962, now Legal Education (Consolidation Etc) Act Cap. L10, Laws of the Federation, 2004. Until the school was established, legal practitioners in Nigeria had received the requisite training in England and had been called to

104-448: A legal monopoly over the profession. In some countries, litigants have the option of arguing on their own behalf. In other countries, like Venezuela, no one may appear before a judge unless represented by a lawyer. The advantage of the latter regime is that lawyers are familiar with the court's customs and procedures, making the legal system more efficient for all involved. Unrepresented parties often damage their own credibility or slow

156-455: A scrivener or clerk may fill out court forms and draft simple papers for laypersons who cannot afford or do not need attorneys, and advise them on how to manage and argue their own cases. In most developed countries, the legislature has granted original jurisdiction over highly technical matters to executive branch administrative agencies which oversee such things. As a result, some lawyers have become specialists in administrative law . In

208-549: A broad field of legal matters. In others, there has been a tendency since the start of the 20th century for lawyers to specialize early in their careers. In countries where specialization is prevalent, many lawyers specialize in representing one side in one particular area of the law; thus, it is common in the United States to hear of plaintiffs' personal injury attorneys. Lawyers in private practice generally work in specialized businesses known as law firms , with

260-497: A few countries, there is a special category of jurists with a monopoly over this form of advocacy; for example, France formerly had conseils juridiques (who were merged into the main legal profession in 1991). In other countries, like the United States, lawyers have been effectively barred by statute from certain types of administrative hearings in order to preserve their informality. In some fused common law jurisdictions,

312-506: A government agency in order to receive maximum protection under the law. The division of such work among lawyers, licensed non-lawyer jurists/agents, and ordinary clerks or scriveners varies greatly from one country to the next. In some countries, the negotiating and drafting of contracts is considered to be similar to the provision of legal advice, so that it is subject to the licensing requirement explained above. In others, jurists or notaries may negotiate or draft contracts. Conveyancing

364-474: A large majority of law students never actually practice, but simply use their law degree as a foundation for careers in other fields. In most civil law countries, lawyers generally structure their legal education around their chosen specialty; the boundaries between different types of lawyers are carefully defined and hard to cross. After one earns a law degree, career mobility may be severely constrained. For example, unlike their Anglo-American counterparts, it

416-566: A law degree have to undergo further education and professional training before qualifying as a lawyer, such as the Bar Professional Training Course . In other jurisdictions, particularly the United States and Canada, law is taught at the graduate level following the completion of an unrelated bachelor's degree. In America, the American Bar Association decides which law schools to approve for

468-406: A lawyer can range from completing an undergraduate law degree to undergoing postgraduate education and professional training. In many jurisdictions, passing a bar examination is also necessary before one can practice law. Working as a lawyer generally involves the practical application of abstract legal theories and knowledge to solve specific problems. Some lawyers also work primarily in upholding

520-537: A lawyer vary greatly across countries. In some countries, law is an undergraduate degree culminating in a bachelors or master's degree in law. In some of these jurisdictions, it is common or even required for students to earn another bachelor's degree at the same time. Where law is taught as an undergraduate degree, legal training after law school may comprise advanced examinations, apprenticeships, and additional coursework at special government institutes. For example, in many English common law jurisdictions, individuals with

572-689: 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. In November 2009, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof Tahir Mamman SAN, 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

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624-501: A license to practice. Some countries require a formal apprenticeship with an experienced practitioner, while others do not. A few jurisdictions still allow an apprenticeship in place of any kind of formal legal education, though the number of persons who actually become lawyers that way is increasingly rare. The career structure of lawyers varies widely from one country to the next. In most common law countries, especially those with fused professions, lawyers have many options over

676-426: A nonmember caught practicing law may be liable for the crime of unauthorized practice of law . Jurist This is an accepted version of this page A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law ; someone who analyzes and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar , mostly (but not always) with a formal education in law (a law degree ) and often a legal practitioner . In

728-470: A practice which was transferred to many countries in South America and Macau . In some jurisdictions, the term "doctor" has since fallen into disuse, but it is still in use in many countries within and outside of Europe. The title of doctor has traditionally not been used to address lawyers in England or other common law countries. Until 1846, lawyers in England were trained by apprenticeship or in

780-495: A professional law degree that qualifies for admission to the legal profession, including such positions as judge or attorney. In Germany , Scandinavia and a number of other countries jurist denotes someone with a professional law degree, and it may be a protected title, for example in Norway . Thus the term can be applied to attorneys, judges and academics, provided that they hold a qualifying professional law degree. In Germany –

832-416: A similar distinction to the common law tradition exists between advocates and procurators . Because each country has traditionally had its own method of dividing up legal work among its legal professionals, it has been difficult to formulate accurate generalizations that cover all the countries with multiple legal professions. Other kinds of legal practitioners include: While some jurisdictions regulate

884-584: A single type of lawyer. Most countries in this category are common law countries, though France, a civil law country, merged its jurists in 1990 and 1991 in response to Anglo-American competition. In countries with fused professions, a lawyer is usually permitted to carry out all or nearly all the responsibilities listed below. In some jurisdictions descended from the English common law tradition, including England and Wales, there are often two kinds of lawyers. A barrister (also known as an advocate or counselor)

936-479: A special class of legal professionals–the licensed conveyancer –is also allowed to carry out conveyancing services for reward. In many countries, only lawyers have the legal authority to draft wills , trusts , and any other documents that ensure the efficient disposition of a person's property after death. In some civil law countries, this responsibility is handled by civil law notaries. In many civil law countries, prosecutors are trained and employed as part of

988-496: A traditional preference for full-time law programs, while in developing countries, students often work full- or part-time to pay the tuition and fees of their part-time law programs. Law schools in developing countries share several common problems, such as an over reliance on practicing judges and lawyers who treat teaching as a part-time commitment, a concomitant scarcity of full-time law professors), incompetent faculty with underqualified credentials, and textbooks that lag behind

1040-404: Is a lawyer who typically specializes in arguing before courts, particularly in higher courts. A solicitor (or attorney) is a lawyer who prepares cases and gives advice on legal subjects. In some jurisdictions, solicitors also represent people in court. Fused professions, where lawyers have rights of both barristers and solicitors, have emerged in other former English common law jurisdictions, such as

1092-519: Is commonplace. Some large businesses employ their own legal staff in a legal department. Other organizations buy in legal services from outside companies. In some jurisdictions, either the judiciary or the Ministry of Justice directly supervises the admission, licensing, and regulation of lawyers. Other jurisdictions, by statute, tradition, or court order, have granted such powers to a professional association which all lawyers must belong to. In

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1144-451: Is contemplated or is in progress. In these jurisdictions, even conveyancers and corporate in-house counsel must first get a license to practice, though they may actually spend very little of their careers in court. Some jurisdictions have made the violation of such a rule the crime of unauthorized practice of law . In other countries, jurists who hold law degrees are allowed to provide legal advice to individuals or to corporations, and it

1196-489: Is difficult for German judges to leave the bench and become advocates in private practice. Another interesting example is France, where for much of the 20th century, all judiciary officials were graduates of an elite professional school for judges. In a few civil law countries, such as Sweden, the legal profession is not rigorously bifurcated and everyone within it can easily change roles and arenas. In many countries, lawyers are general practitioners who represent clients in

1248-665: Is irrelevant if they lack a license and cannot appear in court. Some countries go further; in England and Wales, there is no general prohibition on the giving of legal advice. Singapore does not have any admission requirements for in-house counsel. Sometimes civil law notaries are allowed to give legal advice, as in Belgium. In many countries, non-jurist accountants may provide what is technically legal advice in tax and accounting matters. In virtually all countries, patents , trademarks , industrial designs and other forms of intellectual property must be formally registered with

1300-438: Is one of the most prestigious and credible institutions in Nigeria. Lawyer The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system , as well as the lawyer's area of practice. In many jurisdictions, the legal profession is divided into various branches — including barristers , solicitors , conveyancers , notaries , canon lawyer — who perform different tasks related to

1352-553: Is the drafting of the documents necessary for the transfer of real property , such as deeds and mortgages . In some jurisdictions, all real estate transactions must be carried out by a lawyer. Historically, conveyancing accounted for about half of English solicitors' income, though this has since changed, and a 1978 study showed that conveyancing "accounts for as much as 80 percent of solicitor-client contact in New South Wales ." In most common law jurisdictions outside of

1404-482: The "cab rank rule", to accept instructions for a case in an area in which they held themselves out as practicing, at a court at which they normally appeared and at their usual rates. Legal advice is the application of abstract principles of law to the concrete facts of the client's case to advise the client about what they should do next. In some jurisdictions, only a properly licensed lawyer may provide legal advice to clients for good consideration , even if no lawsuit

1456-645: The Bar Part II examinations, and these students are then called to the Bar. Its campus in Lagos was set up in 1962, moving to its current location in 1969. The law school headquarters was relocated to Abuja in 1997. The Nigerian Law School currently has 7 campuses - one in each geopolitical region of the country, though the Nigerian Senate has approved the establishment of seven new campuses. In August 2009,

1508-499: The English Bar. 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 since its inception in 1962. Anyone who has obtained a university degree in law and wants to practice as a lawyer in Nigeria, must attend the Nigerian Law School. The Council of Legal Education gives certificates to students who pass

1560-867: The Inns of Court, with no undergraduate degree being required. Although the most common law degree in the United States is the Juris Doctor , most J.D. holders in the United States do not use the title "doctor". It is, however, common for lawyers in the United States to use the honorific suffix "Esq." (for " Esquire "). In French ( France , Quebec , Belgium , Luxembourg , French-speaking area of Switzerland ) and Dutch -speaking countries ( Netherlands , Belgium ), legal professionals are addressed as Maître ... , abbreviated to M ... (in French) or Meester ... , abbreviated to mr. ... (in Dutch). In Poland ,

1612-461: The U.S., such associations are known as mandatory, integrated, or unified bar associations . In the Commonwealth of Nations, similar organizations are known as Inns of Court , bar councils or law societies . In civil law countries, comparable organizations are known as Orders of Advocates, Chambers of Advocates, Colleges of Advocates, Faculties of Advocates, or similar names. Generally,

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1664-527: The United Kingdom the term "jurist" is mostly used for legal academics, while in the United States the term may also be applied to a judge. With reference to Roman law , a "jurist" (in English) is a jurisconsult ( iurisconsultus ). The English term jurist is to be distinguished from similar terms in other European languages, where it may be synonymous with legal professional , meaning anyone with

1716-401: The United States, India, and Pakistan. On the other hand, civil law jurisdictions do not have "lawyers" in terms of a single general-purpose legal services provider. Rather, their legal professions consist of a large number of different kinds of legally-trained persons, known as jurists , some of whom are advocates who are licensed to practice in the courts. In some civil law countries,

1768-534: The United States, this monopoly arose from an 1804 law that was introduced by William Pitt the Younger as a quid pro quo for the raising of fees on the certification of legal professionals such as barristers, solicitors, attorneys, and notaries. In others, the use of a lawyer is optional and banks, title companies, or realtors may be used instead. In some civil law jurisdictions, real estate transactions are handled by civil law notaries. In England and Wales,

1820-432: The bar use the title "Avvocato", abbreviated in "Avv." Some lawyers, particularly barristers and advocates, argue the legal cases of clients case before a judge or jury in a court of law. In some jurisdictions, there are specialist lawyers who have exclusive rights of audience before a court. In others, particularly fused legal jurisdictions, there are lawyers who specialize in courtroom advocacy but who do not have

1872-412: The client and then brief a barrister, usually in writing. The barrister then researches and drafts the necessary court pleadings, which will be filed and served by the solicitor, and orally argues the case. In Spanish civil law, the procurator merely signs and presents the papers to the court, but it is the advocate who drafts the papers and argues the case. In other civil law jurisdictions, like Japan,

1924-404: The client-lawyer relationship begins with an intake interview where the lawyer gets to know the client personally, following which the lawyer discovers the facts of the client's case, clarifies what the client wants to accomplish, and shapes the client's expectations as to what actually can be accomplished. The second to last step begins to develop various claims or defenses for the client. Lastly,

1976-449: The course of their careers. Besides private practice, they can become a prosecutor , government counsel, corporate in-house counsel, administrative law judge , judge , arbitrator , or law professor . There are also many non-legal jobs for which legal training is good preparation, such as politician , corporate executive , government administrator, investment banker , entrepreneur , or journalist . In developing countries like India,

2028-412: The court down as a result of their inexperience. Often, lawyers brief a court in writing on the issues in a case before the issues can be orally argued. They may have to perform extensive research into relevant facts. Also, they draft legal papers and prepare for an oral argument. In split common law jurisdictions, the usual division of labor is that a solicitor will obtain the facts of the case from

2080-423: The current state of the law. Some jurisdictions grant a " diploma privilege " to certain institutions, so that merely earning a degree or credential from those institutions is the primary qualification for practicing law. Mexico allows anyone with a law degree to practice law. However, in a large number of countries, a law student must pass a bar examination (or a series of such examinations) before receiving

2132-622: The disciplinary committee of the Body of Benchers . This is why Prof Tahir Mamman SAN is referred to as the most successful Director General since the inception of the institution. Mr O. A. Onadeko the previous Deputy Director General of the Lagos Campus served as the Director General of the Nigerian Law School from 2013 to 2018. In February 2018 Prof. Isa Chiroma was appointed as the new Director General The Nigeria Law School

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2184-520: The exception of English barristers. The vast majority of law firms worldwide are small businesses that range in size from 1 to 10 lawyers. The United States, United Kingdom and Australia are exceptions, home to several firms with more than 1,000 lawyers after a wave of mergers in the late 1990s. Notably, barristers in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some states in Australia do not work in law firms. Those who offer their services to members of

2236-550: The form of apprenticeships or special clinical courses. Others, like Venezuela, do not. A few countries prefer to teach through assigned readings of judicial opinions (the casebook method ) followed by intense in-class cross-examination by the professor (the Socratic method ). Many others focus on theoretical aspects of law, leaving the professional and practical training of lawyers to apprenticeship and employment contexts. Some countries, particularly industrialized ones, have

2288-416: The general public—as opposed to those working in-house — are generally self-employed. Most work in groupings known as "sets" or "chambers", where some administrative and marketing costs are shared. An important effect of this different organizational structure is that there is no conflict of interest where barristers in the same chambers work for opposing sides in a case, and in some specialized chambers this

2340-436: The judiciary. They are law-trained jurists, but may not necessarily be lawyers in the sense that the word is used in the common law world. In common law countries, prosecutors are usually lawyers holding regular licenses who work for the government office that files criminal charges against suspects. Criminal defense lawyers specialize in the defense of those charged with any crimes. The educational prerequisites for becoming

2392-410: The law. Historically, the role of lawyers can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as Greece and Rome. In modern times, the practice of law includes activities such as representing clients in criminal or civil court, advising on business transactions, protecting intellectual property, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. Depending on the country, the education required to become

2444-402: The lawyer explains her or his fees to the client. In England, only solicitors were traditionally in direct contact with the client, but barristers nowadays may apply for rights to liaise with clients directly. The solicitor retained a barrister if one was necessary and acted as an intermediary between the barrister and the client. In most cases barristers were obliged, under what is known as

2496-526: The purposes of admission to the bar. Law schools in the United States and Canada award graduating students a J.D. ( Juris Doctor ) as a professional law degree. In a handful of U.S. states , one may become an attorney (a so-called country lawyer ) by simply " reading law " and passing the bar examination, without having to attend law school first, although very few people actually become lawyers that way. The methods and quality of legal education vary widely. Some countries require extensive clinical training in

2548-625: The rule of law, human rights, and the interests of the legal profession. Some jurisdictions have multiple types of lawyers, while others only have one or two. England, the mother of the common law jurisdictions, emerged from the Middle Ages with a complexity in its legal professions similar to that of civil law jurisdictions, but then evolved by the 19th century to a single division between barristers and solicitors . Several countries that originally had two or more legal professions have since fused or united their professions into

2600-411: The term "full jurist" is sometimes used informally to denote someone who has completed the two state examinations in law that qualify for practising law, to distinguish from someone who may have only the first state examination or some other form of legal qualification that does not qualify for practising law. Some notable historical jurists include: This job-, occupation-, or vocation-related article

2652-489: The title Mecenas is used to refer to advocates and attorneys at law, although as an informal title its status is not protected by law. In South Africa and India, lawyers who have been admitted to the bar may use the title "Advocate", abbreviated to "Adv" in written correspondence. Lawyers who have completed two years of clerkship with a principal Attorney and passed all four board exams may be admitted as an "Attorney". Likewise, Italian law graduates who have qualified for

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2704-489: The use of the title "lawyer", others do not. Historically, lawyers in most European countries were addressed with the title of doctor. The first university degrees , starting with the law school of the University of Bologna in the 11th century, were all law degrees and doctorates. Therefore, in many southern European countries, including Portugal, Italy and Malta, lawyers have traditionally been addressed as "doctor",

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