EXECUTIVE ADDRESS

2^ND SEMESTER WELCOME ADRESS

Olaitan

Good Day like minds,

I would be very brief with this because I believe we have a lot to do with very little time and more so in consideration of how so well some of us need use of this time. I hope you had a relaxing, restful and fruitful break, because you deserve it.

Faculty of Law Lagos State University

Well, my past 3years at the faculty has made me accept against my will that the legal profession has become more complex than we hoped for, especially when you have to work and walk with persons of diverse orientations and way of life and more disheartening with lecturers of diverse beliefs, demands and perspective of you as an individual or as a class. I hope we have not quickly forgotten the contributions of these persons in our lives over the last few months and years?   Yet so bad, some of these persons have chosen to be rigid, unapologetic, envious, ante-innovative, religiously blinded and intellectually old fashioned; I know, you wish you could avoid seeing that annoying and intimidating class mate or lecturer of yours once again.  The break therefore should have been a good opportunity to refuel; I hoped you filled so much to last you for another semester? You can’t afford to have stop-over every little mile as you journey through another semester.

As we all know, we are from a learned community where hope and possibility is our watch word and this has at every point given us the joy of making decisions that distinguish us as law students from every other member of the school community. Yes you are learned but not when you don’t even understand the meaning and characteristics of the sacred word LEARNED.

I know right, we are now back on campus with different aspiration and motivations, it’s time for work, yes! It's a matter of days you shall be looking at your way out of the University. What is it you aim to achieve? What is your goal? Are you here just to be counted as a graduate, with no impact to show for your 5years on campus? At this level do you still not know what you want out of life? I had a dream awake, I got a message for you, THE TIME IS NOW. Yes, NOW not TOMORROW, your tomorrow is determined by your today. Make the decision now, as it affects the future. As a FINAL YEAR STUDENT,  it’s a time to tidy up that which has been done and do that which has not been done, as RETURNING students it's time to keep on placing the right stone on the built foundation and it is not totally correct that you cannot model a foundation at this stage, you only have to attempt the impossible and finally to the FRESH MEN it is a matter of laying down a strong and solid foundation, one that can stand the test of time, you might have dug the wrong land last semester, quickly cover it up and channel fresh energy to the right site. It is important to determine also to walk with God, because it is through him that you can actualize your desired plans, “You cannot build SOMETHING on NOTHING and expect it to STAND, it will COLLAPSE”. He is the only ground!

5ps of Life

Remember; PLANNING is vital. Planning is simply placing the right task in the right order in an achievable format. The 5Ps of life remains a reality with God. 5Ps- Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. It is going to be tasking, Yes we have lots do, so much to achieve in such a little time, planning can give you at least a 90% achievement in your days program which collates to a net achievement at the end of your years. It is said, regret is a vocabulary for the folly which can only be expunged through proper planning. Never forget this if you forget any, "without God in our plans, it is only a scam".

Some Partners of Equity Law Firm

Yes, I missed my beloved chamber, my pride, the very platform that gave me the opportunity to see into the labor market, our very own and dear clinic but then I even missed more my handsome/beautiful, energetic, innovative, intellectual, reasonable, caring and bright partners. Now we are back to create for you and I another historical semester.

Just as a check for those that have seen the light and for those that just entered the tunnel that there is light just at the other end, I will quickly give you all a vivid description of the labor market. In 2016, over three thousand six hundred (3,600) students were called to the Nigerian Bar, in 2017 with a little decline, over two thousand two hundred students (2,200) were called to bar with twenty-four (24) first class Law School graduates and less than 300 registered Law Firms in Nigeria. Here come the big questions, how do you stand out among these increasing large numbers of law graduates? Well, there are two of such ways; (a) either you have a dad, mum, uncle, aunt, cousin, niece, grandfather, grandmother, family friend or colleague who own a law firm and is willing to employ and take you as you are or; (b) you train to fit into the labor market. The former I know nothing about and more so it is not designed for my kind of person from a family with no legal history but I can inform you a bit on the latter.

Start by acknowledging the presence of change in the society, even the legal profession is changing just as our laws is exhibiting its dynamic nature. Only then can you realize that the legal labor market (which is the one I know) is tilting away and evolving round not just ACADEMIC base but also KNOWLEDGE base. In other words, the interest is not just the grades but also the knowledge; the first will show you off while the second will pick you out. You must be ready to stand out else the profession can make you think suicide even before you understand the word. Here at the chamber level, we are trained to understand this nitty-gritty’s of the profession in preparation for a demanding future. While we are taught law in our various classes, we are shown these laws and taught how to apply at chamber level. You might have been lucky enough to have heard or read about students in the past and recent striving and smiling to make it for competitions, engage in intellectual discuss via open platforms, be it orally or in writing and you have so many questions to ask them. Yes, I was publicly asked sometimes ago why I do so many of those things when my parent would be expecting me to be in the library, head tucked into understanding the opinions of both vibrant and shallow authors. Well, I only advised her to check through history book and identify ten (10) learned colleagues who had made it as a triangular student ( Home/Hostel to Library to class or from class to library and back home/hostel) and I will identify hundreds (100s) who had achieved success by engaging in intellectuals acts beyond the four walls of the classroom and University. Go back, read and make findings about those Striving and smiling students earlier mentioned, the ones going for this and that competition, the ones writing this and that essay, the ones giving clinical analysis of court decisions and authors opinion, the ones I term fit and proper. Trust me; you have so much to learn from their stories, actions and reasons for running after those certificates, competition gains and opportunities.

While you are still here, you can be the best you want to be.

The profession is for the FIT and PROPER, two words that can be used in two ways. Be FIT & PROPER!

I will conclude with an abstract from Elisa Carson letter to some college teachers relating con-temporarily to our dear profession;

I know not every day would be awesome, but you are designed to be continuously awesome, it is time to work again, endeavor to learn, smile and enjoy your moments. Try new things. Share what you’re learning. Ask for help. We can work and provide infrastructures and humans capacity to make that happen. You defend your thoughts and empower them as we’ll do the same for you. Don’t try to forget our pledge to our founders never to do anything in vain, Equity like nature, does nothing in vain.  It’s time for some new stories of great learning. It begins now. Go be awesome.

Equity like nature, does nothing in Vain..........

Ojelabi John Olaitan

A Principal Partner

Equity Law

Faculty of Law,

Lagos State University