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Tobi Adebowale recently finished legal studies at the Nigerian Law School, Bayelsa. He had his undergraduate studies at Obafemi Awolowo University, where he honed his writing skills into what now metamorphosed into Lawyard.ng – a Legal Information outlet, conceived as a one-stop spot for social interaction and engagement built around the learning of law. In this interview, Tobi talks about what he does as a blogger, and more about legal practice in Nigeria.
What inspired Lawyard? And when did it start?
As an undergraduate at the Faculty of Law in Obafemi Awolowo University, I was the editor-in-chief of a press board called IfeLaw News Xtra between 2011 and 2012. I introduced a blog site and social media accounts to extend the reach of the board which by its lack of mobility had a limited audience. When I left that position, I got the idea that I could scale up what we were doing for the faculty at the time, on a national basis. Due to the pressures of academic work and running other organisations, I had to wait till 2015 before implementing the idea. In August 2015, I got the support of two friends willing to volunteer their time and we kicked off.
In taking off, we decided to have a platform that caters to the information needs of the general public as far as Nigerian Law is concerned. The site however also provides some materials and updates for Law Students and Lawyers.
As a budding lawyer, what would you say of the legal practice in Nigeria?
The legal profession is broad, it goes quite beyond criminal trials and civil disputes more often reported by the media. Every aspect of our existence as citizens is governed by a law or multiples of statutes and to effectively operate within the ambits of those legal provisions, one needs proper legal advice best provided by a Lawyer. Legal practice in Nigeria is also evolving. More attention is now being paid to alternative dispute resolution models such as arbitration and mediation unlike in times past. Copyright infringement issues in the arts industry is also drawing attention and expanding the frontier of entertainment law. A few people in Nigeria are equally looking more closely at Space Law.
How would you justify the recent clampdown of Nigerian judges?
We may have to look more closely at the issues involved. There are allegations of corruption against judicial officers on the one hand, and accusations that the DSS acted outside the scope of its operational powers. I think the situation could have been better handled with the DSS working more closely with the NJC or in the alternative, effecting the arrests without the undue show of force. The Attorney-General of the Federation has filed charges against one of the Justices of the Supreme Court, and also stated his intention to file charges against others, we will be keeping an eye on the proceedings.
What's been the high point so far, and most challenging part of this work for you?
High point so far for me, has been meeting people who have downloaded resources from Lawyard and have found the site useful. There were many of such instances when I was in the Law school. Seeing people express surprise when they find out I and Alao Adavize run the platform they find helpful, gives me some thrill. The challenging part however is funding. We have some volunteers but we will need to pay more hands to keep the work going and introduce new features to enhance the Lawyard experience
What are the future prospects for Lawyard? What do you hope to achieve in the next 5-10 years?
We hope to serve many more Nigerians, help increase public awareness about rights and duties, constitutional provisions, legal implications of certain actions and remedies available in some situations where there are grievances. In 5-10 years, we hope to be a major hub for civic education and legal enlightenment in Nigeria while also providing services that will be of help to the general public, Law Students and Legal Practitioners.
What inspired Lawyard? And when did it start?
As an undergraduate at the Faculty of Law in Obafemi Awolowo University, I was the editor-in-chief of a press board called IfeLaw News Xtra between 2011 and 2012. I introduced a blog site and social media accounts to extend the reach of the board which by its lack of mobility had a limited audience. When I left that position, I got the idea that I could scale up what we were doing for the faculty at the time, on a national basis. Due to the pressures of academic work and running other organisations, I had to wait till 2015 before implementing the idea. In August 2015, I got the support of two friends willing to volunteer their time and we kicked off.
In taking off, we decided to have a platform that caters to the information needs of the general public as far as Nigerian Law is concerned. The site however also provides some materials and updates for Law Students and Lawyers.
As a budding lawyer, what would you say of the legal practice in Nigeria?
The legal profession is broad, it goes quite beyond criminal trials and civil disputes more often reported by the media. Every aspect of our existence as citizens is governed by a law or multiples of statutes and to effectively operate within the ambits of those legal provisions, one needs proper legal advice best provided by a Lawyer. Legal practice in Nigeria is also evolving. More attention is now being paid to alternative dispute resolution models such as arbitration and mediation unlike in times past. Copyright infringement issues in the arts industry is also drawing attention and expanding the frontier of entertainment law. A few people in Nigeria are equally looking more closely at Space Law.
How would you justify the recent clampdown of Nigerian judges?
We may have to look more closely at the issues involved. There are allegations of corruption against judicial officers on the one hand, and accusations that the DSS acted outside the scope of its operational powers. I think the situation could have been better handled with the DSS working more closely with the NJC or in the alternative, effecting the arrests without the undue show of force. The Attorney-General of the Federation has filed charges against one of the Justices of the Supreme Court, and also stated his intention to file charges against others, we will be keeping an eye on the proceedings.
What's been the high point so far, and most challenging part of this work for you?
High point so far for me, has been meeting people who have downloaded resources from Lawyard and have found the site useful. There were many of such instances when I was in the Law school. Seeing people express surprise when they find out I and Alao Adavize run the platform they find helpful, gives me some thrill. The challenging part however is funding. We have some volunteers but we will need to pay more hands to keep the work going and introduce new features to enhance the Lawyard experience
What are the future prospects for Lawyard? What do you hope to achieve in the next 5-10 years?
We hope to serve many more Nigerians, help increase public awareness about rights and duties, constitutional provisions, legal implications of certain actions and remedies available in some situations where there are grievances. In 5-10 years, we hope to be a major hub for civic education and legal enlightenment in Nigeria while also providing services that will be of help to the general public, Law Students and Legal Practitioners.
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