Habeeb Gobir

This is very true, but many firms don’t want to admit it. A lot of the work that keeps a law office running is actually done by support staff and junior hands, yet they are the least valued. If you really want a functional practice, you have to treat them like part of the system, not an afterthought. Pay them properly, involve them, and build capacity. That is how firms actually scale, not by one lawyer trying to do everything alone.

I agree. A lot of lawyers forget that the courtroom is a professional space, not a place for subtle insults. Advocacy should assist the court, not complicate it with unnecessary drama. There is also along-termm consequence people ignore. The legal profession is smaller than it looks. The colleague you try to embarrass today may be opposing you tomorrow, or even sitting on the Bench in the future. We need to start seeing Courtesy as part of professional survival. In the end, good advocacy is quiet and effective. You make your point, you support it with authority, and you leave the rest to the court. Anything extra is usually just noise.

Clients need to understand this. The clearer you are, the better your lawyer can help you. Half information will always lead to half solutions. If you hide details or try to be smart, you are only increasing your own risk.

I actually agree with him, especially when you look at the reality for many new wigs in Nigeria. You enter a firm and you’re earning ₦30k or ₦50k, sometimes nothing at all, yet you’re expected to survive, transport yourself to court, dress the part, and still perform at a high level. On top of that, a lot of these environments do not offer proper mentorship. You are doing filings, running errands, maybe even drafting, but nobody is really sitting you down to teach you the why behind what you are doing. So you spend years gaining experience but not actually developing the confidence to handle matters independently. So when someone decides to step out early and start something, I understand it. It is not always pride or impatience. Sometimes, it is a response to a system that is not working. You start small, take whatever briefs come, learn directly from clients and real situations, and build from there. It is not the easiest path, but for many, it is the only practical one.

@ryanmckeen Lowkey, clients don’t rate you for your citations, they rate you for how you make them feel understood and how reliable you are. You can be brilliant and still lose clients if you’re hard to reach or hard to understand.

The lawyers people rave about aren't always the sharpest legal minds. They called when they said they would. They explained things in plain English. They made clients feel like they mattered. That's the whole game.

Congratulations to everyone who just passed their Bar Finals. It is a big win, and it reflects the work, discipline, and consistency you put in. Take a moment to appreciate it. Let me borrow from the words of my good friend, @lawalhabeebull4 “We say Alhamdulillāh, then move on. Being alive to witness the outcome of your efforts, and your unwavering faith that your Lord does not decree except what is best, is itself a reason to be a grateful servant. This moment is not about boasting or feeling entitled. ‘I deserve more than this’ is the voice of one who thinks he authors his destiny. So, we say: Alhamdulillāh, in success or otherwise, and we keep moving, with hearts full of sabr, shukr, and tawakkul.” Now, the real journey begins. Stay grounded, keep learning, and build something meaningful with this next phase.

@toye_mustapha It was honestly a very intense session. We are grateful to have Chief in our midst, always ensuring that our minds are refreshed and sharpened with the knowledge we’ve been taught. Thank you, High Chief Adetoyebi.

Myself, @gobson_ were attached to a court that used to rise by 5/6pm and the judge would want to see us in chambers by 6/pm on Thursdays 😂.

@sofiwayzzz Congratulations 🎊

DOUBLE FIRST CLASS!? I DID THAT!🥹 With God of course, Alhamdulillah!🥹

This week Monday - I got the job at my desired law firm Tuesday- I moved into my new apartment Friday - Got my desired grade from law school (First class) What a week Alhamdulilah Which of the favors of the lord will i deny?

I’ll be speaking with students of the University of Uyo tomorrow on how they can better use and truly harness their intellectual property rights. One thing I’ve come to realise is that talent is rarely the problem. The real gap is structure. There are creators sitting on genuinely valuable IP, ideas, content, brands, and creative works, but they do not understand how to protect or commercialise them. At the same time, others with average output are earning consistently, not because their work is better, but because they understand how to structure deals around their IP. If you are creating anything, music, content, designs, writing, or tech, you need to understand how your rights work. Otherwise, you risk building value that someone else will eventually control or profit from. If you’re around or can join virtually, you should be in this session.

Well, one cannot entirely blame the judge, especially when viewed from a case management perspective. Frequent adjournments on grounds like witness unavailability are one of the major reasons trial dockets remain congested. If courts keep accommodating short adjournments every time, matters drag on indefinitely.

Highlight in court - My case was scheduled for continuation of trial. But the Claimant's counsel had written to the court to request an adjournment because his witness was ill. He proposed a date in June or July for continuation of trial. My Lord read the letter and adjourned the matter to December. The courtroom was shocked.

@ryanmckeen Lowkey, many law firm owners” are just senior associates with staff 😅 the firm still revolves around them, so once they step away, everything slows down.

Most law firm owners are actually solo operators with employees. There's a difference between running a firm and having people around you while you do all the real work yourself.

@ruqayyahraji_ That's just it. It's a good one.

@gobson_ I genuinely love business. Getting an MBA after my BL is definitely part of the plan.

A lot of lawyers are afraid of business, but want rich clients. That’s funny. If you don’t understand how businesses work, how do you want to advise people running multi-million naira operations? Law and business are twins, whether you like it or not.

@Viviansblog The lawyer is merely doing his job

@gobson_ Are the parties the real problem here or the lawyer who prefers litigation so as to get continuous appearance fees ...

Mediation, by its nature, is built on consent. We all know that the legitimacy of the process comes from the parties choosing to engage, not being compelled to do so. So once a court starts to impose mediation on unwilling parties, then there’s a problem. I understand the policy justification, courts are overburdened, and there is a strong interest in encouraging amicable resolution. But that objective should not blur the line between encouragement and compulsion. So yes, courts should promote ADR, but that should not quietly turn into imposing it. There is a clear difference between encouraging parties to settle and compelling them to take part in a process that is meant to be voluntary.

@OkouduE Someone said law itself is a business 😃

@gobson_ They are not many of them dont understand how the thing works.

@omgsidewalks Rock bottom is not where your story ends, it’s where excuses end. Once you’ve seen your lowest, fear loses power. From there, every step forward is a win.

To any who survived rock bottom… what’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who feels like giving up right now?

@nasirawalo Exactly! I often wonder why some lawyers never like getting involved. RPC maybe

@gobson_ Law itself is a business