‘Law is an Art, Anyone Desirous of Making a Career Out of it must be Steadfast, Honest and Industrious’
My name is Jude Obiorah Ezeobi of the Ezeobi Legal Dynasty of Awgbu. Four of my siblings are distinguished lawyers and my dad up to his demise in 2014 was a renowned legal luminary.
Have you had any challenges in your career as a lawyer and if so what were the main challenges?
Challenges abound in the life of every successful man or woman, what matters most is the ability to overcome these challenges. I cannot seem to understand why a lawyer will not dress properly to Court. Many of our lawyers today wear very dirty shirts to Court. The proper attire for a lawyer is the Barristers shirt and a Collar. But you find so many lawyers in particular the seniors adorning the wing collar shirt which is meant for social functions. Even at that and embarrassingly so, they find it difficult to keep it clean. This is a huge challenge because it eliminates attraction to the profession for would-be lawyers and erodes the natural respect that should be accorded to lawyers by the general public.
Also there were challenges upon the demise of my dad, Chief T.A. Ezeobi SAN but I believe that is the price one has to pay for greatness. So generally life is full of challenges and what matters most is the ability to rise above the issues and collectively overcome the challenges. Moving forward, my family has adopted this winning strategy and that is the formula we require to set our dear nation Nigeria on the right pedestal. What was your worst day as a lawyer? This was shortly after I was called to the Bar and at the point of my NYSC service year. All the seniors in the firm where I was attached tactfully avoided going to court with respect to a particular matter and the file landed on my table. In open court the Counsel on the other side noticed I was a new wig and tried to take advantage of it. I felt really bad.
What was your most memorable experience?
Five of my siblings had been called to the Nigerian Bar. This was more pronounced when my immediate elder Sister who is a Magistrate now, was called to Bar.
The resounding ovation and honour given to me by members of Otu Oka-Iwu (Lawyers of Igbo extraction ) at its 1st meeting of the year this month was quite heart-warming and memorable.
Who has been most influential in your life?
Well, that is not a far-fetched question. God Almighty has been the most influential in my life. However, the level of unimpeachable integrity that is synonymous with the names of my parents - Chief T.A. Ezeobi SAN and my mum Chief Mrs. B.N. Ezeobi challenged me a great deal. My elder brother as well Theodore Jnr. Ezeobi has also been a source of inspiration to me. Nonetheless, His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okogie, Dr. Oluyomi MacGregor and A. Abdulwahab in recent past have played positive roles in my life.
Why did you become a lawyer? The innate desire and wish for a better environment propelled me to study law and having watched my dad closely for over a decade as a young man was a huge motivating factor. My siblings Chinelo, Jane, Theodore Jnr., and Ngozi who elected to study law also had a positive effect on my choice of career.
It is quite unfortunate that nowadays, you hardly come across quintessential lawyers. The pedigree, style, character, finesse and demeanour of some legal legends such as - Chief GCM Onyiuke SAN, Chief Fredrick Alade Williams SAN, Hon. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour JSC and Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN also helped sharpen my resolve to study law. And because it has become imperative to preserve the legacies of some of these great legal minds, some of us have come together to setup a Centre to preserve the values and works of this great legal minds for the benefit of the future of the profession. Law is an Art and can only be sustained if its essence is appropriately mirrored to successive generations.
What would your advice be to anyone wanting a career in law?
Law is an art. Therefore, anyone desirous of making a career out of it must be steadfast, honest and industrious. Lack of mentors have also become a challenge.
If you had not become a lawyer, what would you have chosen?
The reality is that I do not see myself in any other profession outside law. As law is the ultimate. May be a Priest of God. .
Where do you see yourself in ten years? Every focused individual has set goals. And at the core of it must be to succeed. By God's special grace at the peak of my career.