AN EXAMINATION OF THE ROLE OF CLINICAL LEGAL EDUCATION IN PROMOTING LEGAL PRACTICE IN NIGERIA
AN EXAMINATION OF THE ROLE OF CLINICAL LEGAL EDUCATION IN PROMOTING LEGAL PRACTICE IN NIGERIA
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Date
2021
Authors
Suleiman, ABUBAKAR
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Abstract
Clinical Legal Education (CLE) is an experiential learning process of teaching
law that was introduced with the major aim of producing lawyers with community
consciousness, ethical skills and competence to handle legal issues in accordance
with the global best practice. This research examined the role of CLE in
promoting legal practice in Nigeria by analysing the activities of Law Clinics and
the Clinicians to see how they are helpful to the society and the law students
aspiring to becoming lawyers in line with global best practice. The research
relates experiences of law students in projects such as social justice and public
interest lawyering which cover Prison/pre-trial detainees project, Community
outreach/street law, the Stop Torture Project, Freedom of Information Act
Projects and client interview and counselling among other activities of Law
Clinics. The choice of this research is burnout of the recent constant attacks on
the legal profession from the Bar and/or Bench that many attributed to the nature
of half-baked and unethical lawyers produced yearly from the University because
of the strict nature of teaching law in theories devoid of practice/practical
application of the theories to real life issues. The problem of the research
boarders on the non-inclusion of practical skills and legal ethics in the legal
education curriculum and the problem of the failure of lawyers to embrace the
professional values of providing free legal service to the indigent members of the
society. The first objective of the research is to look at the extent at which law
students through constant application of CLE Methodologies can effectively
integrate legal ethics. Secondly, to examine how the Nigerian Universities can
adequately educate law students through the content and methodologies of CLE
curriculum to perform effectively after graduation. Finally, to examine how CLE
can inculcate the habit of rendering free legal service by students to indigent
members of the society. The research used doctrinal, empirical and teleological
methods of research. The findings of the research includes insufficient ethical
curriculum for teaching law courses in the universities, resistance from law
students due to over-population in the classroom and resistance from some legal
practitioners, judges and law lecturers. The research finally recommended the
incorporation of CLE ethical curriculum in law courses taught in the university,
mandatory use of formative assessment methodologies in teaching law courses
and CLE advocates need to partner with NBA and the judiciary for effective
implementation of CLE
Description
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE
STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS IN LAW DEGREE (LL.M)
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC LAW,
FACULTY OF LAW,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, NIGERIA