Thread by @aeckay

A thread for Lawyers.

This isn’t for you high earning lawyers in fancy office buildings with relatively good salaries and allowances with clients that sends hampers during Christmas..

Nope I’m talking the lawyers that are almost always at Igbosere filing or chasing something.

I really do want to talk about dressing.
I’m not here to talk about the “industry” and the business of Law. I want to simply talk about dirty shirt, unpolished shoes and faded suits.

I want to talk about “unlawyerly lawyering”

I’m not talking from a high stool.
I am just as poor as the rest of you.
Infact 70% of the lawyers I roll with earn more money from law practice than I do.

So this hard life is going round.

Just needed to say this before you think I’m tweeting from my bank account.

There is a poor man look and there is a dirty man look.
And you can never earn “clean man money” looking dirty in this law profession. I assure you.
Ask any one.

You see a lot of lawyers with big infinix and techno with dirty shirts and faded suits... WHY?!!!

Like why?!!!!

That incorporation you are struggling to get 80 to 100k out of a client, someone has paid 2k dollars in my presence for it before.
And that was professional fees.

All other fees to CAC was still the responsibility of the client.

You think they will pay you with that shirt on?

One time in Magistrate Crt Ogba, two “Lawyers” got physical over an accused person who was looking for someone to apply for his bail.
(15k - 20k)

They fought and exchanged words in the presence of the client.
Just because one said he saw the client first.

I almost died.

Litigation is the most (seemingly) stressful and least lucrative (at the low level) aspect of law in Nigeria.

But I assure you, there’s so much to do to augment the meager fees you get. Assuming you must litigate.

All you need to do is dress convincingly, you can do anything.

CAC runs.
property Agent.
FRSC/VIO runs.
Land registration.
Probate runs.
VISA application.

Guy you can literally do anything.
Nigerians want Lawyers that they won’t pay for legal services.

So as a lawyer, if you can do other things, you have an upper hand.

Bcos, Lawyer.

Now...
As a low earning lawyer with responsibilities and the rest.. I know it’s difficult dressing as fancy as your colleagues that work in B&I and the rest.

But you can dress decently with your tiny earnings.
I’d tell you how.

Won’t be easy but just trust me..

At Marina, you can buy mad looking work shirts for as low as 1k to 1.5k.
You can buy good suits for as low as 8k.

As a litigator, you don’t need more than 4 suits.
2 black, 1 grey and 1 Navy Blue.
You also need just like 4white shirts and 5 other colors for off court days.

So make it a policy that anytime you make above 10 - 15k, you buy a shirt.

Whenever you make above 30k, you buy a suit.

Buy secondhand Italian shoes they can last a year.
Also, look out for the hausa shoe sellers at Marina, their shoes are cheaper.
Pad the sole bcos trekking.

Enter into a covenant with yourself and your God that once your white shirt loses its whiteness, you throw it away.
Forfeit beer and replace an old white shirt.

The quality of your practice will improve.
Clients will be willing to pay more and your English will sound better.

I am very aware that Nigerians don’t like to engage and pay lawyers.
I know this more than you sef.

But I assure you.. the one that will pay will look at how you are dressed before they start bargaining.

Also, LEARN TO SAY NO.

It’s not every brief you must chop from.

To end this, I alway Tell Lawyers every chance I get.
If this law thing is not working for you... look elsewhere.

Most of these millennials calling you “the law” and shaking you with two hands earn 5times more than you and they are even complaining.

There’s so much to do.

Law is like Pot belly.
It’s prestigious.
But nothing dey am.

Once you unlock your money level in Law, there’s no stopping you.
You will make millions in your sleep..

But before then.. all you have is an NBA sticker and the “Do you know who I am” line.

Be guided.

Fin.

At this rate I should post my mixtape buy I don’t have one. 😭😭😭...

I’ve got medium though.

medium.com/@ucheesq?sourc…