Requirements For Senior Advocate Of Nigeria

By the provisions of the guidelines for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (2016), the candidate must be a legal practitioner called to the bar and practicing in Nigeria as an advocate, and must have been in active and current practice and has been so for at least ten (10) years immediately preceding the date of application.

The candidate must be of good character and have no pending disciplinary case or complaint relating to professional misconduct against him/her.

A candidate should demonstrate clear qualities of leadership and loyalty to the legal profession, and must have paid his/her practicing fee and branch dues in the last ten (10) years preceding his/her application form.

A candidate for the rank of senior advocate should demonstrate tangible contribution to the development of the law through case law or publications in recognised journals or scholarly presentations at national or international conferences considered by the LPPC to be of particular significance.

An applicant must have conducted trial as a substantial counsel in at least twenty (20) cases at the High Court or coordinate jurisdiction and must have duly settled and argued four (4) judgments at the Court of Appeal and three (3) judgments at the Supreme Court.

The LPPC shall conduct a Law Office physical inspection of the chambers of the candidates that have made the final inspection list. The chamber inspection is geared towards evaluating the level and quality of the facilities provided in the chambers and shall take into account: (a) size and quality of library, (b) quality of office space and other facilities available (c) number of junior counsels in chamber, (d) number and quality of support staff, (e) maintenance of proper books of accounts.

The evaluation of the candidates competence shall be based on the following criteria; (a) Integrity 20 percent, (b) Opinion of Justices/Judges and the strength of reference received by the candidate 20 percent, (c) General knowledge of law 25 percent, (d) Contribution to development of Law 10 percent, (e) leadership qualities in the profession 10 percent, (f) Qualities of law office/library 15 percent.