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Lawyers told to diversify in practice
Court of Appeal Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire. Photo/URN
What you need to know:
- The young lawyers were being oriented by their senior legal practitioners on specific legal disciplines like corporate law, government, civil society, and financial planning and management.
Junior lawyers have been urged to embrace opportunities in other spheres of legal practice and not only stick to court legal work.
Court of Appeal Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire reasoned that it was no longer viable for a lawyer to pride in only courtroom.
“I can tell you that the future of legal practice is in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Ask yourself why only five percent of Ugandans have access to legal services; where do the rest go?” Justice Kiryabwire said during a young lawyers symposium organised by the Uganda Law Society in Kampala on May 27.
He added: “The Judiciary is going to mainstream ADR in all processes. Tomorrow the Chief Justice is going to commission the first mediators, so prepare to meet them in court and if you are aware, then prepare to meet them.”
Justice Kiryabwire called upon young lawyers to embrace advanced technology to match the spasmodically changing legal profession. He said the Western world has embraced some of these technologies which have eased the demand for lawyers.
“The ability to manage data is the next big thing. In the State of Illinois, USA, lawyers sued a robot known as ‘Do not pay’ for lawyering without a Practicing Certificate. The robot had been providing legal services to those who could not afford it at no charge,” he added.
He explained that a ‘robot lawyer’ won the lawsuit against the Illinois law firms. He said he had a case against a hotel abroad which was presided over by a robot computer and urged firms to embrace the drastic digital changes in the legal profession.
Speaking at the same event, the president of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), Mr Bernard Oundo, said 70 percent of the membership of ULS is composed of young lawyers who have spent less than five years in practice.
He added that the objective of the symposium was to share challenges and experiences and learn from each other.
The two-day symposium comes at a time when the debate of exploiting young lawyers by senior lawyers is gathering storm.
It was premised on the theme: resilient minds, innovative practice- adapting to the unfolding legal landscape.
The young lawyers were being oriented by their senior legal practitioners on specific legal disciplines like corporate law, government, civil society, and financial planning and management.
