By Lucy Ogalue
A lawyer, Agabaidu Jideani, has called for the revitalisation of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) to enhance public trust, professionalism, and competence in the legal profession.
Jideani made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
He commended the efforts of the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, a SeniorAdvocate of Nigeria (SAN) in repositioning the legal profession.
Jideani, an elder of the Garki Branch of the NBA, described MCLE as a critical tool for ensuring that legal practitioners remain competent and capable of fulfilling their professional responsibilities.
He said that CLE, as part of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) ecosystem, ensured that lawyers remained updated with the requisite knowledge, skills, and ethical standards to serve society effectively.
According to him, the CLE programme, introduced by the NBA in 2007, requires legal practitioners to complete a specific number of credit hours annually, with penalties for non-compliance.
Tracing its global origins, Jideani said that CLE gained prominence in the 1970s and 1980s in America and was later adopted by countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK.
According to him, in Nigeria, the programme aims to assure lawyer competence while addressing public expectations of the legal profession.
He said that while the current CLE system was effective, its traditional lecture-based approach was sometimes unengaging and lacked practical applications.
The lawyer advocated for a more interactive format, incorporating simulations, group exercises, peer reviews, and case studies.
He also called for a robust technology backbone to support flexible virtual learning, allowing legal practitioners to engage with courses at their convenience.
He said that revitalised CLE programmes must focus on continuous assessment, monitoring, and evaluation.
“Key indicators of success include improved knowledge retention by lawyers, enhanced client satisfaction, and demonstrable improvements in professional practice,” he said.
He also restated the societal benefits of CLE, highlighting its role in promoting access to justice, human rights, and ethical legal practices.
He recommended making certain courses mandatory, such as litigation management, anti-corruption, and financial crime compliance, to address specific needs across various practice areas.
“The CLE must be tailored to function-specific roles, including notaries, legislative aides, local government legal advisers, and lawyers in academia or election management.
“Mandatory Continuing Legal Education benefits not just the legal profession but also society at large.
” A revitalised CLE system will enhance lawyer competence, promote ethical standards, and restore public confidence in the profession,” he said.
He called on the NBA to maintain its commitment to a proactive bar, ensuring that CLE programmes align with societal needs while strengthening the reputation and integrity of the legal profession.