PLACEMENT PROGRAM: THE ROAD MAP FOR A LAW SCHOOL STUDENT

MOTTO: THE LAW SCHOOL WILL NOT ASSIST ME NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM.

The objectives of the placement of students in the courts and law offices and organizations are:

(1)               To ensure that each trainee is exposed to learning experience which provides reasonable opportunity for them to achieve the outcomes of learning at the Nigerian Law School.

(2)               Develop the Externs Ability to reflect on and learn from experiences

(3)               Develop extern lawyering skills

(4)               Inculcate professional responsibility

THE DUTIES OF EVERY EXTERN

1.      Read your Externship Handbook in and out

2.      No Externship in proxy

3.      Adhere to the Hours of opening and closure of Firms and Court

4.      Adhere to the Law School dress code.

5.      Be punctual

6.      Participate in Task

CODE OF CONDUCT DURING PLACEMENT

CODE OF CONDUCT

1. Spend at least 8hrs daily at court and Law Firm
2. And you shall report promptly
3.  DO NOT WRITE THIS IN YOUR LOG BOOK;

a)      Court did not sit

b)      Principal Partner did not come

c)      I was awaiting my posting

4. Maintain good manners at the place of Placement
5. Stealing of Books
6. Do not engage in fighting
7. Indecent dressing
8. You must respect your Principals
9. Perform every Task

 POSER: WHAT WILL I BE DOING?

       (i) Court      - Observe, discuss and reflect on activities in the Court.

       (ii) Law Offices/organizations

(a)    Engage in real work like drafting letters, motions, notices, bills, writs, pleadings, affidavits, opinion, reports, applications, forms; Client Interviewing and Conferencing; Law firms/organizations conferencing; conducting searches at registries, probate, Court etc; filing documents at Registries, Courts; conducting research and fact finding; follow-up activities at the Police Station, Prisons, etc on behalf of Clients; negotiate/mediate on behalf of the organizations Client; use IT hard ware and soft ware to engage in real work; receive clients; open files, endorse files; make journals, etc.

(b)   Observe, discuss and reflect on activities of the firms/organizations in relation to real work as shown above in place of actual engagement in the work.

FIELD SUPERVISOR

COURT PLACEMENT-: The Judges are the Principal Field Supervisor he may delegate.

LAW FIRM PLACEMENT:  The Principal Partner, Assistant Partner, or the Head of the Law Firm.

THE ROLES

Attainment of the key goals of the Externship Program;

a)      Develop the Externs Ability to reflect on and learn from experiences

b)      Develop extern lawyering skills

c)      Inculcate professional resp.

SPECIFIC ROLES

1. Provide enabling environment and resources
2. Review and sign the log book
3. Monitor attendance
4. Develop Professional skills and value
5. Provide feedback to the externs
6. Evaluate the work done by externs generally
7. Ensuring that externs are not harassed
8. Submission of the final evaluation reports on Externs by Law firm

HOWEVER NOTE THAT

1. Externs are not to be used as if they were paid employees
2. Externs and field supervisor are bound by the Rules of Professional conduct
3. Relationship between the extern and the Supervisor

TAKE NOTE

On return to Campus, students are to submit/present a portfolio of the attachment showing what tasks they undertook or observed with reflective journaling before a panel. The panel shall be made up of;

a)      at least one full-time teacher and

b)      one adjunct who is a barrister.

A form of assessment shall be used and the final score for each student shall be the average marks of the panel members.

The student would be scrutinised by the panel to ascertain that:

(a)        The student participated; and participated actively in the programme; and

(b)      The student was able to gain from the activities engaged in or observed during the attachment. He/ she must be able to demonstrate a standard of competence of a person about to commence legal practice for the first time in the following:

(1)          Intellectual, analytical and problem solving skills;

(2)          Core knowledge and understanding of the law as applied in Nigeria such as Jurisdiction, authority and procedures of legal Institutions, constitutional law, rules of professional conduct (including accounting rules), regulatory framework, law of contract, tort, criminal law, property, equitable rights and interests and evidence.

(3)          Ability to complete legal transactions and  resolve disputes:

(4)          That the student can:

-       Demonstrate practical understanding of the values, behaviour, attitudes and ethical requirement of a legal practitioner; and

-       Demonstrate the professional, personal management and client relationships skills required of a lawyer.

POSER: WHAT SHOULD MY PORTFOLIO CONTAIN?

1. 2 LOG BOOKS (one for the court and the other for the Law office) in which the student entered daily activities engaged in or observed.

N.B: They must be countersigned by the supervisors. The Portfolio would also show evidence of engagement in activities such as copies of legal opinion, letters, reports, writs, pleadings and draft of other documents and forms filled.

2.  REFLECTIVE ESSAY AND REPORT

a)      The Management and Organization of the Law firm I was placed

b)      An Ethical dilemma

See EXTERN HANDBOOK FOR STUDENTS (pg 23) For Structure

SAFETY & HARASMENT DURING THE EXTERNSHIP PLACEMENT

N.B: it is the duty of the extern to protect himself from unsafe environments during externship.

TAKE NOTE; Law School can’t give assurance about the safety of a placement site or of a state.

WHAT TO DO?

a) Speak to your Field Supervisor OR

b) Your Mentor

                        HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HARASSMENT

1. Proper Dress Code. SEE RULE 7 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR EXTERNS pg 25
2. Don’t engage in any Sexual relationship with staff & Clients at Placement Places. Rule 10
3. Avoid isolated places
4. Maintain high sense of decorum & morality

UPHOLDING THE ETHICAL STANDARD OF THE PROFESSION

1. Duty to maintain a high standard of ethical & professional conduct
2. Duty not to engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of legal practitioner

HANDLING EMERGENCIES

MEANING: Any situation that poses threat to a person health, security, property or environment.

HOW TO ASSESS THE EMERGENCY

1. Remain calm and don’t panic or be anxious
2. Take time to think before acting
3. Determine the nature of the emergency

HUMAN CAUSED EMERGENCY

WHAT TO DO

1. Assess the danger
2. Locate the possible way of escape
3. Report to the appropriate authorities

TAKE NOTE

1. Always have your emergency phone number on your body
2. Keep your valuables in a safe place.
3.  Always have a first aid kit,
4.  Keep your identity card with you while travelling.

PLEASE KINDLY READ YOUR EXTERN HANDBOOK