In the light of concerns raised by some of our colleagues regarding the costs associated with Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) courses, I have convened a meeting with the Director of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) and the leadership of the Young Lawyers Forum to address the matter comprehensively.
Following this engagement, the following directives are hereby issued:
1. No lawyer will be compelled to attend any accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training, as every lawyer has the right to choose which training to attend.
2. Advertised payments for the different CPD trainings are payable to the service providers and not to the Nigerian Bar Association.
3. The duty of the NBA is to publicise and bring to the attention of lawyers the accredited CPD trainings which are available for interested lawyers to attend.
4. Lawyers can make up the five (5) CPD Hours each year by attending free seminars conducted by accredited institutions or by attending free trainings organised by the NBA ICLE, NBA Branches, and any other service providers.
5. As a result of concerns about the cost of some of the advertised trainings, the NBA ICLE Board should immediately exercise its statutory powers to vet the pricing of CPD courses to ensure that they are affordable.
6. This is to ensure that legal practitioners have access to high-quality legal education at reasonable, transparent, and affordable costs.
7. The board will also take immediate steps to ensure that free trainings are continually made available for lawyers across the country.
8. Accredited NBA branch-level trainings and activities form part of the recognized avenues for earning CPD points.
9. The ICLE Board should also encourage NBA branches, Faculties of Law, and other law training institutes to accredit some of their courses and programmes so that lawyers enrolled in their programmes can claim CPD Credit points for them.
The NBA remains committed to fostering a professional environment that upholds fairness, access to knowledge, and the highest standards of ethical and intellectual engagement. The ICLE system is intended to enhance the development and competence of lawyers, and not cause untold hardship.
We will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure that the Continuing Legal Education framework is affordable, responsive, inclusive, and empowering for all members of the legal profession.
Yours faithfully,
Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN
President, Nigerian Bar Association
See attached document below
