It is said that one of the greatest sets of legal practitioners in Nigeria history come from the Law School classes of 1978 and 1988.
These Law School classes appear to have produced the best (quality and quantity) top judges, lawyers, governors, senators, billionaire businessmen, attorneys general, amongst other great and trail-blazing individuals of all sets before or after them.
Whilst the point is indeed arguable, it is very likely that if these classes are compared to the proceeding sets or even the sets before them, we might find that man for man (this includes women but as we all know, there are no women at the Bar), the classes of 78 and 88 might just confirm this controversial assertion.
So, when I say the Law School Class of 2018 might just surpass the greatness of the 78 and 88 classes and not just that, I believe the set of 2018 will achieve the primus inter paves status in less than 10 years (It took the 78 and 88 classes more than 20 years to achieve their mythical status), I must have a pretty good reason for saying this.
My reasons will surprise many, but for the discerning few, it will make a lot of sense.
I make this assertion based on the fact that for the very first time in Nigeria’s history, the country this year called to its Bar, its first set of Artificial Intelligence-enhanced lawyers.
This is aside the fact that the 2018 class has the largest number of First Class lawyers ever to be called to the Bar.
Though to be honest, First Class is not an accurate measure of personal greatness. If you doubt me, just ask any lawyer what the call to Bar grades of the late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) was and you will quickly understand my point.
When I answered the call to the Bar in the year 2000 (the Millennial Set), I walked out of the Abuja Law School auditorium with a little bit of confidence. I had interned in one of the top high-street law firms in Lagos and I already had a good idea of just how confusing actual practice would be for a lot of my colleagues who had not yet had the privilege of setting foot in a law firm.
To put this into finer detail, let’s examine some of the top skill requirements that law firms seek in new wigs.
Commercial Awareness, which is possession of knowledge of current developments in local, national and world business, particularly in issues that may impact a law firm and its clients.
Whilst the point is indeed arguable, it is very likely that if these classes are compared to the proceeding sets or even the sets before them, we might find that man for man (this includes women but as we all know, there are no women at the Bar), the classes of 78 and 88 might just confirm this controversial assertion.
So, when I say the Law School Class of 2018 might just surpass the greatness of the 78 and 88 classes and not just that, I believe the set of 2018 will achieve the primus inter paves status in less than 10 years (It took the 78 and 88 classes more than 20 years to achieve their mythical status), I must have a pretty good reason for saying this.
My reasons will surprise many, but for the discerning few, it will make a lot of sense.
I make this assertion based on the fact that for the very first time in Nigeria’s history, the country this year called to its Bar, its first set of Artificial Intelligence-enhanced lawyers.
This is aside the fact that the 2018 class has the largest number of First Class lawyers ever to be called to the Bar.
Though to be honest, First Class is not an accurate measure of personal greatness. If you doubt me, just ask any lawyer what the call to Bar grades of the late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) was and you will quickly understand my point.
When I answered the call to the Bar in the year 2000 (the Millennial Set), I walked out of the Abuja Law School auditorium with a little bit of confidence. I had interned in one of the top high-street law firms in Lagos and I already had a good idea of just how confusing actual practice would be for a lot of my colleagues who had not yet had the privilege of setting foot in a law firm.
To put this into finer detail, let’s examine some of the top skill requirements that law firms seek in new wigs.
Commercial Awareness, which is possession of knowledge of current developments in local, national and world business, particularly in issues that may impact a law firm and its clients.
Communication, including both strong oral and written communications skills.
Attention to details, with a sharp eye for accuracy, especially with regards to clauses in contracts and the use of grammar.
Time management, with ability to multi-task, manage competing briefs and deliver qualitative results every time.
Academic ability; because the intellectual demands of the legal profession are intense and extensive.
Resilience, self-confidence and mental toughness to manage difficult situations.
Competence in research and analysis, flowing from the ability to read and comprehend large amounts of information, facts and figures whilst making intelligent connections between different types of data.
These seven skill are globally agreed to make out an exceptional legal career and I dare say that a larger number of the 2018 class members, more than their 1978 and 1988 counterparts, excelled in these skills.
Though external factors like family connections, wealth, influence and good old-fashioned luck also influence a lawyer’s chaces of success, without these highlighted seven skills the external factors are usually not sustainable.
In 2018, all the seven skills enumerated above will be at play just as it has been every year, except that for the first time, each of the seven skills will be enhanced by technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence.
To fully understand why AI is such a factor in today’s legal practice, let us first define AI.AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. These processes include learning (the acquisition of information and rules for using the information), reasoning (using rules to reach approximate or definite conclusions) and self-correction.
When the class of 2018 walked out of the Law School auditorium in Abuja, they had in their pockets, unparalleled access to AI-driven tools that will grant them access to these seven skills. They will be the first AI-enhanced set with advantages at their fingertips to dominate the legal profession from day one.
These seven skill are globally agreed to make out an exceptional legal career and I dare say that a larger number of the 2018 class members, more than their 1978 and 1988 counterparts, excelled in these skills.
Though external factors like family connections, wealth, influence and good old-fashioned luck also influence a lawyer’s chaces of success, without these highlighted seven skills the external factors are usually not sustainable.
In 2018, all the seven skills enumerated above will be at play just as it has been every year, except that for the first time, each of the seven skills will be enhanced by technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence.
To fully understand why AI is such a factor in today’s legal practice, let us first define AI.AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. These processes include learning (the acquisition of information and rules for using the information), reasoning (using rules to reach approximate or definite conclusions) and self-correction.
When the class of 2018 walked out of the Law School auditorium in Abuja, they had in their pockets, unparalleled access to AI-driven tools that will grant them access to these seven skills. They will be the first AI-enhanced set with advantages at their fingertips to dominate the legal profession from day one.
Their commercial awareness is enhanced by social media. The 2018 set live in a world without borders and to them the world is a village and with access to Law Firm Enterprise Management Technology like LawPavilion’s Case Manager, they will understand not just the law, but also the business of legal practice.
Communication: The 2018 class have the privilege of international exposure, even the ones that have never left the shores of the country. The Internet and AI-powered legal writing, forms and procedure platforms like Law Pavilion Solicitors Tool Kit, make it easier and faster for them to churn out locally-relevant contracts, agreements and legal form.
Attention to detail: The 2018 set will have the most powerful AI-driven Civil Procedure and Legal Research platform at their fingertips, with products like Law Pavilion TIMI (Intelligent Legal Assistant Chat Bot) and Law Pavilion Prime (Legal Research Analytics). They have the benefit of having at their disposal the first analytics-driven legal research and intelligent assistant combination system in Nigeria.
Time Management: The 2018 set will have the fastest turnaround time for legal research of any set of lawyers to date as they will have access to tools like Law Pavilion Prime and Law Pavilion 6.2 (online), these online platforms will also impact on.
Thus, while it took the classes of 78 and 88 decades to master these skills, it will take the class of 2018 less than a decade because they are simply a different class of lawyers; they are Nigeria’s first AI-empowered set as they walked out the law school auditorium on November 27, 2018 with all these AI tools in their pockets.
To put this in perspective, imagine a new wig that already has the equivalence of a self-updating law library; a self-updating library of forms and precedence; all judgments as they are passed; an analytical tool that helps them sift and curate insights from judgments via a deep study of the judge in question; and finally, an intelligent AI assistant Chat Bot (TIMI) that guides the lawyer on Civil Procedure Rules in every state and special jurisdiction.
Mr. Oluseye Amusa, a legal practitioner, wrote from Lagos
In this article: