Law Technology

Legal Education in Nigeria

By JohnPMayer

I am off to the airport in a few short hours to travel to Lagos, Nigeria for nine days visiting the four campuses that make up the Nigerian Law School. All lawyers who hope to practice in Nigeria must complete a year or more of study at one of the campuses of the Nigerian Law School.

I have been asked to visit the facilities and provide some advice on ICT-related matters. I have never been to Africa and although I won't have much time for looking around, I am thrilled by this opportunity to expand my horizons.

I hope to blog some of my experiences as well as some of my thinking. It's a tall order to be asked to consult on an entire country's legal education system in any capacity and I feel the weight of that responsibility.

In early discussions with my hosts, I find that they have the same questions and concerns that I have heard over and over from U.S. law schools and law faculty. One of their biggest concerns is how to "interest faculty in technology who are not interested in using technology" ... a very familiar concern to me. This concern about motivating faculty was very comforting to me. I was concerned that I would be going into a situation with no common ground and instead find that the issues may be quite similar to the ones I address every day with CALI.

Obviously, technology should not be pursued for its own sake - but as a means to better education, access to justice and improved lawyering. The implementation detailsm however, are always unique to the culture, politics and communities at the local level.

This should be interesting.

Full post as published by CALIopolis on January 16, 2008 (boomark / email).