NAVIGATING THE EARLY YEARS AS A YOUNG BUSINESS LAWYER

For Peter Chinemelum Afuba, building a successful legal career goes beyond competence. As a young associate in the Real Estate and Estate Planning Unit at KENNA, he highlights the importance of mentorship, networking and visibility in navigating the early years of practice. He shares how the right mentors and professional relationships have shaped his career, provided valuable practical insights and opened doors along the way.

What do you think sets successful young lawyers apart in today’s legal industry?

In my view, what sets successful young lawyers apart is a combination of competence, commercial awareness, visibility and relationship management.

What alternatives to traditional legal practice are prevalent amongst young lawyers and why?

The alternatives to traditional legal practice prevalent among young lawyers nowadays are;

a. In-house counsel roles

b. Business consulting

c. Content creation

d. Online legal education, etc

The major reason for this, in my view, is economic reality. Traditional practice for young lawyers at the early stages is always financially difficult. Especially young lawyers in average or smaller firms. Young lawyers now prefer to explore sectors where they can make money easily.

What are the key challenges young lawyers face within the legal profession?

As highlighted in number 2 above, one of the key challenges facing young lawyers in Nigeria today is adequate remuneration (especially in average and small firms), and another challenge is career uncertainty. It’s often difficult for young lawyers to decipher what area of law to specialise in due to a lack of exposure in average and small firms

The legal profession is fast-paced and known for its high-pressure environment. How do you manage stress?

For me, and using my experience from Kenna thus far, I manage stress by trying as much as possible to stay organised, prioritising tasks properly because proper preparation reduces unnecessary stress. Secondly, I try to stay calm under pressure.

What role has mentorship and networking played in your career development?

Mentorship and networking have played a very significant role in my career development. A lot of what I know today is because of the people I intentionally chose to learn from over the years. Mentorship gave me access to practical experiences and insights that were not taught in school, both at the University and at the Nigerian Law School.

Networking has also played a huge role in my growth within the profession. I currently serve as the Publicity Secretary of the Young Lawyers Forum, Onitsha branch (not an elective post), and I was privileged to attain that position largely because of the professional relationships and network I built with senior lawyers during my time in Anambra State.

I have come to realise that while competence may open doors, good relationships, visibility, and reputation often determine how far one can go in the legal profession.

This interview was originally published by BUSINESSDAY Newspaper

Leave a Reply