In Nigeria, almost every home has that one person who believes that he or she is talkative, and hence,
needs to study law. You would find that most of these people know little or nothing about the course
and the profession itself, these people are more preoccupied with the prestige behind being called
‘barrister’ or ‘esquire’ or as you’d popularly find, ‘De laww’.Hence, Things to know before studying law
The moment it is discovered that you study law in any Nigerian university, you automatically become ‘De laww’ to the rest of the country, even among your coursemates and faculty mates. You would ask about the parents, right? Well, those ones are usually the most excited about it any child’s decision to study law, especially when they have the financial strength to cater for it. As a matter of fact, some parents will be the ones to force their child down that path of study. This is especially found among families where either a parent, or both parents are lawyers themselves.
The title that goes with studying law in Nigeria.
It is not surprising that Nigerians are a people who pretty much place so much emphasis on titles, almost as if you study “s” course that is not professional that is, with “s” title to address you as such, they would not rate you so much. This is something that thrills the average Nigerian; titles. Some parents want to partake in the effizzy of being called mama/papa lawyer, superficial as it seems, young people have ventured into the study of law without a good grasp of what to expect in the journey to becoming a
Nigerian law graduate.
All that has been stated above in no way renders irrelevant genuine passion for the course as so many
others genuinely had an interest which later translated to passion, and in like manner, many others picked up the passion along those lines. In any case, you; an aspiring law student, hoping to enroll in any institution in Nigeria, public and private needs to be acquainted.
11 Things You Need to Know Before Studying Law in Nigerian Universities.
You need to be honest with yourself.
Honesty they say, is the best policy. This is one of the truest and most relatable facts you will uncover in your journey to become De laww. You will need to have an honest conversation with yourself as to why and whether you really want to proceed with the journey. Mind you, this article presupposes that you have satisfied the requirements to study law.
You must be truthful to yourself, as to your own capabilities, acknowledging what works for you and working with it, rather than following the crowd. Universities are such places where it is so easy to get carried away by a sea of different opinions. We can safely say that in the university, so many truths can coexist.
Yes! So many truths can coexist. You would find so many different realities that could outrightly shock you. Do not be fazed by this, this is where your honesty comes to play. The truth is, the law course requires a lot of studying and it is in your best interest as a focused human being, to figure out what works best for you.
You must understand that the life of a law student is one of research and
more research.
The truth is you will need to cultivate the habit of making research about any and everything related to the course. If you did not pick up the habit in secondary school, you may find it difficult to adapt but it is not an impossibility. You will need to be armed with knowledge most times and one of the most viable ways to achieve that is by making research and studying too.
You must understand that different lecturers have different needs.
A lot of people come into the university with the mindset they had from secondary school, they think that in the university, you just need to read and write. While this may be generally true, it is not quite. There are some lecturers who would prefer that you fill your exam sheets with cases upon cases, others will be more concerned about the presentation and arrangement of facts.
Now, for a lecturer who prefers an explanation of theories more than filling up your work with cases citation, you who preoccupied yourself with cases may fall short, especially where you fail to properly explain the theory that gave rise to the cases. So, you are studying for different law courses should be done in line with the aim of satisfying the lecturer as well as the set scheme for marking.
In truth, the marking scheme is the best way for a school to create order so that one lecturer’s needs do not override the set scheme. It is therefore in your best interest to get familiar with both the lecturer and the set schemes for marking. This is also what you things to know before studying law
Law Departments are like no other in the school’s system.
Are you aware that in a faculty like Arts and Humanities, departments such as Fine Arts, Theatre Arts, and Literary Studies exist, and students are required to choose a specialization within a specific department? This is not what typically happens in the Faculty of Law across Nigeria. Usually, the Law faculties have four(4) departments.
They include Business law, Property law, Public law International law, and Jurisprudence. You do not have the option of choosing one department to specialize in, you are meant to go through all the departments throughout your stay in school. This comes as a shocker to most, but it is what it is. This means all the law courses will fall under either of the departments.
You will definitely borrow courses.
So many law students came into school thinking they would start speaking legalese the moment they start classes. You will definitely meet with courses from neighboring faculties like Arts, Social sciences, and management sciences. This is because no knowledge is gotten in isolation, there will always be interactions between courses.
The compulsory GSTs all students are meant to offer serve as a practical example. Additionally, at the basic levels, law students receive exposure to English language courses, Social psychology, and Logic, which aid in fostering a better understanding of the course. This is because, at the base of being a law student, the student needs a good grasp of communication skills and basic logical reasoning.
You need profitable relationships among your senior colleagues.
No man is an island. You will need all the guidance in the world, it is in your best interest to have a couple of seniors you can ask questions. Yes! You cannot have it all figured out by yourself, you were not born with knowledge, you gain knowledge by asking questions and learning from the experiences of your
seniors, Especially in Nigerian law schools.
You will need guidance in different aspects such as choosing what electives and why, and how to
use the library especially when it includes reporting cases. Cases are to a law student what a scalpel
is to a doctor in surgery, hence it is super important to know how to navigate the library and law reports,
By being fully equipped with knowledge for exams and every step of the legal journey, you can ensure that you are well-prepared and knowledgeable. To reiterate, ask questions, it is okay to be clueless as long as you have an interest in seeking as much knowledge as you can. The right people around you would be glad to put you through.
Networking is as relevant as academic excellence.
You must realize that there will be human beings from various works of life. Who will share your classrooms and libraries with you, and maintain a cordial relationship with everyone. Also, law faculties often organize lectures, which esteemed dignitaries in the legal profession. Make it a point to attend these events, you might feel lost when the resource person speaks. But in the long run, it is both beneficial to your knowledge base, and it affords you the opportunity to build a network that will come in handy in the future. Keep an open mind, and relate with people confidently, other things to know before studying law
You’re a tabula rasa.
This means that as far as the law-student experience goes, you begin as a clean slate and you are impressionable. Whatever you think you know, may very well appear to be inconsequential. Approach learning the law with the mind of a child, complete curiosity, and rapt attention. Forget whatever you think you know and face learning with humility, these are Things to know before studying law.
You will make use of red pens.
Yes, this appears like a sort of comedic revelation, but it is true. You will need to use red pens to distinguish between your regular theories and citations of any kind. A classic law course would contain not only legal theories and concepts but statutes (such as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and cases (previously recorded in court).
These statutes and cases help to better explain the concepts. So in your notebooks and in your exams, you will need your red pens to differentiate between your cited cases/statutes and the concepts generally. Simple as it may appear, it is mandatory for a law student to do this.
Your beginning is important to determine how well you end.
People get into law faculties expecting an exciting journey. However, along the way when they find it a bit discouraging. when they realize that they will offer courses seemingly unrelated to law, like poetry and oral literature. Unknown to them all these courses cumulatively help make their grades better. What you need to do is extensive reading, as in every single course you offer, from borrowed courses to elective courses to mandatory courses, you must put in the work.
There’s a saying that “What is worth doing, is worth doing well”. Therefore, if you decide to choose diligence from the beginning, it’ll pay off in the end. Law graduates usually make jest of how their grades decrease as they go higher. Let’s assume that the case, wouldn’t it be more profitable for any law student to build his or her grades up from the point where it is seemingly easier (i.e. 100-level)?
Lastly, Law is expensive, another thing to know before studying law.
You and your sponsors (guardians or parents) must be prepared to invest money in purchasing law books. Law books take up the bulk of the expenses your stay in school will incur. So prepare yourself, your mind, and your pockets. This is one of the things to know before studying law.
ALSO, SEE 10 Best Ways to Avoid Distraction as a Fresher in Nigeria Universities.
ALSO SEE: Must I Attend Night Class to Pass Exams in Nigerian Universities?
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