Olugbemisola Odusote, the new Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, has cautioned that internal resistance from lawyers is hindering discipline enforcement in the legal profession, urging unity to overcome these challenges.
Speaking at a reception hosted by Prof. Bayo Adaralegbe at Eko Hotel and Suites, Odusote outlined her reform agenda. She highlighted plans for stricter discipline, infrastructural upgrades across seven campuses, and digital shifts like computer-based testing, inspired by bodies such as JAMB. “Interference from Bar colleagues often seeks exceptions, but we must enforce rules collectively,” she stated, appealing for stakeholder funding beyond government aid.
Odusote, the first female DG since 1962, expressed gratitude to mentors like Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (SAN) and optimism for transformative change: “This is the beginning of greater things.”
The event attracted top figures including Supreme Court Justice Habeeb Abiru (chair), Justices Olayinka Faji and Oyindamola Ogala, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), and SAN Wale Babalakin. Speakers praised her historic appointment and urged firmness against interference.
Babalakin criticized lax standards in legal training, citing poor recruitment outcomes even among foreign-trained graduates, and called for university-Law School collaboration to admit only well-prepared students. “We must stop unleashing untrained minds into society,” he warned.
Former DG Prof. Olanrewaju Onadeko (SAN) stressed sustaining West Africa’s legal education leadership through integrity, recalling his resistance to result tampering. Adegbonmire advised navigating political pressures adeptly.
Adaralegbe lauded Odusote’s disciplined roots, tied to her late scholar father’s legacy, and the event’s turnout as testament to her influence.
