NBA to Streamline Lawyers’ Professional Charges, Remuneration

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has set up a committee to streamline the professional charges of lawyers and ensure that earnings trickle down to junior lawyers who work in the chambers of seniors, with a view to increasing their earning capacity.

This was made known in a statement signed yesterday by NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, and sent to all lawyers.

The statement contained a questionnaire to be completed by the legal practitioners who have been asked to support the committee with inputs.

Already, the NBA has appointed a company, as a consultant on the project. The company is to “carry out a random survey amongst lawyers via phone calls and other means.”

The aim is geared towards designing a “workable and enforceable framework under which lawyers will charge the right fees for their legal services using acceptable and realistic metrics; and ensure that those fees, when earned, trickle-down, in terms of reasonable living wages and emoluments, to those who work with, or for, the lawyers”.

“This project is not only important to me but is also necessary for the economic well-being and advancement of our members. It is for this reason that I am writing to you.

“Since setting up the Committee, the members of the Committee have been meeting periodically to deliver on their mandate. As part of that process and in order to get inputs from lawyers themselves, the Committee has (a) put together a questionnaire to be completed by lawyers; and (b) appointed a consultant, Viisaus Technology Limited, to carry out a random survey amongst lawyers via phone calls and other means”.