The purpose of this interview session is aimed at drawing from wealth of experience and knowledge. Our inspiration is from the words of EUGENE C.BLACKARD:
‘’Never be afraid to ask for direction on how to practice law more effectively. Everyone is afraid to look foolish but the practice of law is a collaborative endeavor. You don’t get to practice law by yourself’’
AND CYNDEE TODGHAM CHERNIAK:
‘’Embrace the fact that in your first year of practice that you are still learning. Law school does not teach you everything that you need to know to practice law-far from it’
ABOUT ADAM MUHAMMED NDAKUDU
THE ASSERTION “OLD AGE OF
METHUSELAH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON’’ HAS ITS VALIDITY IN
ADAM. A YOUNG AND PROMISING LAWYER.
HE GRADUATED WITH FIRST CLASS
DEGREE IN LAW FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN AND A SECOND CLASS UPPER DEGREE
FROM THE NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL. IN 2015, ADAM WAS HONOURED AS THE BEST OVERALL
STUDENT IN JURISPRUDENCE AND INTERNATIONAL LAW AND, IN 2016, AS THE OVERALL
BEST STUDENT IN CIVIL LITIGATION BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN AND THE COUNCIL OF
LEGAL EDUCATION, RESPECTIVELY – THE LATTER SERVING AS A TESTAMENT TO HIS
MEMBERSHIP OF THE LAW CLINIC AND HIS SERVICE AS ONE OF TEN GROUP LEADERS OF THE
LAGOS CAMPUS OF THE NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL, RESPECTIVELY. HE HAS PREVIOUSLY WORKED
WITH THE LAW OFFICE OF K. K. ELEJA (SAN) & CO. HE IS AN ASSOCIATE AT
COUNTRY HILL ATTORNEYS AND SOLICITORS AND BELONGS TO THE FIRM’S ADR &
LITIGATION, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND CORPORATE & COMMERCIAL PRACTICE
GROUPS. .......
SIR, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US YOUR FAMILY BACKGROUND, AND
DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR CHOICE OF LAW?
My name is Adam Muhammed
Ndakudu, I'm from a humble family of 8, 2nd born but 1st son of the family, so
I have 5 siblings (4 girls and 1 boy). My family background really had nothing
to do with my choice of law. In fact, my mum never wanted me to study law. But
I am the first lawyer in my family. Both extended and nuclear. I had wanted to study
mass communication.
SIR, WHO WAS YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE WHILE GROWING UP?
While growing up, a lot of
people have really impacted in my life but I will give it to my parents.
SIR, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO STUDY LAW?
What really inspired me to
study law was my experience as a litigation clerk in a law firm of AGF
Salaudeen & Co. I was posted to his law office for my I.T after the
computer training at Bestway Advancement Classes. So after the 3month I.T, I
was retained as a litigation clerk/computer operator. Through that, I was
exposed to law books, law reports, lawyers and I was going to court with the
lawyers. I also met some lawyers. So I started developing interest in the
profession and when jamb form came out, I picked Law. I scored well in both my
JAMB and Post Jamb results and was offered Law as a course in University of
Ilorin in the year 2010.
SIR, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANY EXPERIENCE YOU HAD AS A
YOUNG LAWYER?
So far, it has been engaging
and challenging. Having to offer legal opinions to clients and do a lot of
tasks within a very limited time. Some days, I work on weekends just to meet up
with the targeted deadline. My firm has entrusted a lot of matters in my care
as well, but with the Grace of God, I have not been doing badly in practice so
far.
SIR, WHAT THE MAJOR CHALLENGE YOU HAVE FACED AS A
YOUNG LAWYER?
Like a said, where I am is a
busy firm and having to do so many things within a very short time can be very
challenging. I wish the 24hours can be extended most times.
HOW WAS YOUR FIRST JOB INTERVIEW?
My first job interview was
poor, I must confess. I appeared unprepared because I got to open the mail
inviting me for the interview very late cos I was offline for a while and I had
some emotional imbalances too that time, but had to just attend the interview.
It was even in one of the top most law firms in Lagos. I was told by one of the interviewers that
next time, I should prepare well for the interviews. I knew from that point I
wouldn’t get the job. But thank God for where I am today.
SIR, WHO IS YOUR MENTOR/ROLE MODEL IN THE LEGAL
PROFESSION?
Over time, I have admired so
many lawyers but as at today, my Mentor
is MR KOLAWOLE KEHINDE ELEJA (SAN). I was in his law firm for internship
during my undergraduate days and immediately after law school. I worked with
him for few weeks before I moved to Lagos. Mr Eleja is a pious man, a father
and a boss. He taught me to be humble cos his humility is second to none. He’s
always there for me.
SIR, IN OTHER COUNTRIES THEY ENCOURAGE TUTELAGE AND
MENTORSHIP AS A REQUIREMENT FOR EVERY YOUNG LAWYERS, WILL YOU SUPPORT A
LEGISLATION MAKING IT COMPULSORY FOR EVERY YOUNG LAWYER TO UNDERGO TUTELAGE
I will support it. It is very
important lawyers undergo the tutelage while growing up, especially those who
want to do active litigation practice. You cannot underscore or overemphasised
the need to be properly brushed up and trained. Law school and universities did
not provide the needed skills to just start the practice of law without the
tutelage. My problem is just that most senior lawyers take advantage of this
need for tutelage to overwork young lawyers and pay peanuts.
I hope this challenge will be
addressed when the law eventually comes to effect. But I support the law.
SIR, HOW DO YOU THINK THE TUTELAGE PROGRAM BE ENFORCED
AND REALISTIC
This is possible through the
instrumentality of the law and it’s enforcement. Because, in Nigeria, it is one
thing to have a law, it is another thing to have it enforced. NBA should wake
up to responsibility more this time around if they are serious with the need to
make it compulsory, then practical efforts should be put in place to enforce it
on young lawyers.
WHAT IS THE STATE OF WELFARE OF YOUNG LAWYERS IN
NIGERIA?
First, young lawyers are poorly
paid and badly treated by some seniors. Admitted, there is seniority at the
bar, but not to be used to victimise the juniors and this is the case with
lawyers in Nigeria. This has affected a lot of young lawyers and NBA doesn’t
seem to see this as a serious challenge. I have been following the affairs of
the NBA for a long time now both locally and nationally even as an
undergraduate then and the issue of poor welfare of young lawyers is as old as
the profession itself and they are not actually doing anything tangible about
it. The Election is near and I have read a lot of campaign promises about
welfare of lawyers especially the young ones and they’ve seem to see it as a
challenge but in a typical Nigerian politics, everything is electoral promises
never fulfilled.
This is my fair criticism about
NBA and I hope in no distant time, it will be properly attended to.
SIR, THERE IS A PROVERB THAT; ‘’ALL LAWYERS ARE
LIARS”. WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU AT A DILEMMA TO REPRESENT A CLIENT BUT HAVE TO
BEND THE LAW?
First, my religion is against
it. Also the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners is against
bending the law and as a discipline person, I do not see myself doing that cos
my conscience will not let me be. Rather than bend the law, I would drop the
brief. So I won’t bend the law simply to please a client. My duty though is to
represent the interest of the client, it has to be within the bounds of the
law.
SIR, CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU HAVE BEING SURVIVING IN
THE LEGAL PROFESSION?
Surviving has been by the Grace
of God, diligence and hard work with prayers.
SIR, CAN YOU SAY THE LEGAL EDUCATION IN THE UNIVERSITY
AND LAW SCHOOL ADEQUATELY PREPARED YOU AS A YOUNG LAWYER FOR LEGAL PRACTICE IN
REALITY?
I have said it before, they
both did not prepare a law student or graduate well for the challenges ahead of
practice. The curricula are tailored towards impacting the knowledge and pass
the exams. But for me, I was actively involved in moot and mock. I was a
student legal practitioner in school and rose to the position of a judge and
later the Chief Justice of the Union. I also did internship during the
sessional breaks as an undergraduate of University of Ilorin. By these, I was
exposed to the practice of law in its real nature and not just by what was
taught in school. So I can say that nothing is particularly new to me in
practice but I am still learning.
SIR, WITH YOUR LITTLE EXPOSURE, WHAT ARE THE
REQUIREMENTS TOP LAW FIRM TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE EMPLOYING A YOUNG
LAWYER ?
Good results (both law school
and university) then smartness and intelligence coupled with ability to
deliver. All these are key in getting to top law firms. But connection too is a
Nigerian thing. So networking is good too. Who you know is important too.
SIR, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT NIGERIA STILL NEEDS MORE
LAWYERS?
Considering the rise in
population and the discoveries of new areas of practice, the need to have more
lawyers becomes necessary. But not just the number that matters, the quality of
professional services rendered is key.
SIR, DO YOU HAVE ANY PLAN TO START YOUR OWN LAW FIRM?
AT WHAT TIME DO YOU PLAN TO DO THIS?
Hmmmmm.....Having and managing
a law firm is not an easy task I surely do want to have a law firm of my own
but as for the time, I cannot say with exactitude, only God knows but I won’t
rush it. I see myself more in class teaching law though.
FINALLY SIR, WHAT DO YOU THINK
THE LEGAL PROFESSION CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA?
Hmmm.....Lawyers are ministers
in the temple of justice and should do well in supporting the fight against
corruption because, the existence of corruption in our society greatly affects
our justice system. Lawyers are stake holders in Nigeria and whatever they do
directly or indirectly affect the society. We have cases of lawyers concealing
proceeds of corruption for their clients, bribing judges, deliberately filing
frivolous applications to delay and frustrate proceedings especially corruption related
cases among other things. If lawyers can desist from these things and expose
corruption, sanity will be returned back to our society to a very large extent.
‘’LET THE WORLD STAND AGAINST YOU BUT DON’T LET GOD STAND AGAINST YOU.
YOU’LL REACH THE TOP WITHOUT STRESS’’ (TIMELINE 2016)
