NBA INSTITUTE OF CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION (ICLE) invites all lawyers to the first phase of a two- day symposium scheduled to hold at different clusters of branches of the NBA on Ethics, Rules of conduct and Discipline of lawyers.

OBJECTIVES OF SYMPOSIUM
The Rules of conduct for Legal Practitioners was enacted by the Bar Council in 2007. Survey recently carried out shows that not more than 10% of lawyers called to Bar before 2008 have read the Rules. It has also been noted that even though the Rules were made in 2007, substantial parts were actually drafted back in 1991. The Rules of Conduct is therefore about 18 years old.
At enactment too, there were errors that emerged; and the Rules and Process of disciplining lawyers have been criticised as not adequate to deal with the state of ethical challenges facing the profession today.

This symposium is therefore aimed at creating opportunity for lawyers to:

The Programme will hold at the following venues and dates:

7th & 8th September 2009
Osogbo- Suspended
Ikeja- Ogun-Osun Hall Airport Hotel Ikeja(Date will be communicated to members)
Calabar- Cultural Centre Complex Calabar
Owerri- Suspended
Maiduguri- Banquet Hall Maiduguri International Hotel Maiduguri
Abuja- Gurara Hall Rockview Hotel Wuse 2 Abuja

8th & 9th September 2009
Benin- Main Hall Bishop Pastoral Centre Benin, By St. Paul Catholic Church Benin
Ikorodu - Ikorodu LGA Hall, Local Govt Secretariat, T.O.Benson Rd Ikorodu(Date will be communicated to members)

9th & 10th September 2009
Ibadan-EAC Building glass house, Awolowo road, Bodija,Ibadan.
Kaduna-Arewa House Auditorium Rabah Road Kaduna
Yola- University Basic Board Fund, along Jimeta Rd,
Ilorin- Africa Peoples Hall Onikanga Street, Ilorin
Sokoto-Shukura Hotel.

10th & 11th September 2009
Port Harcourt- Main Auditorium Ministry of Justice, State Secretariat Port Harcourt
Aba- To be communicated to members
Enugu – To be communicated to members

16th & 17th October 2009
Kano- Royal Tropicana Hotel Kano

REGISTRATION FEE

A copy of the registration form is attached. Registration forms can also be downloaded from the Institute website at www.icle.nigerianbar.org.

MCLE CREDIT
Participants at the Symposium will earn 12 credits towards the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) programme. Participants will be free to attend the symposium at any venue.

MODE OF PAYMENT AND SUBMISSION OF FORM
The registration fee should be paid to the NBA/Institute Guaranty Trust Bank account; Account No. 323 257060 4 112 or at the ICLE stand during the NBA Annual Bar Conference.

Completed registration forms with the bank payment teller should be forwarded to the Institute office at NBA National Secretariat, No. 3 Aguleri Street off Gimbiya Street Area 11, Garki Abuja; or scan and send to info@icle.nigerianbar.org, icle_nba@yahoo.com or submit to the NBA branch Chairman/Secretary of the venue of the symposium you intend to attend.

For further information please contact the Programme Officer at 0803 7055140 or 0803 3452825; info@icle.nigerianbar.org or icle_nba@yahoo.com.

PROGRAMME

DAY ONE
8.30-9.00         -           REGISTRATION
9.00-9.15         -           Opening Remarks
9.15-10.00       -           Ethics, Rules of Professional Conduct and discipline of lawyers: an overview
10.00-11.00     -           Does or should our law punish lawyers for infamous conduct in a
professional capacity only?
11.00-11.15     -           Break
11.15-12.15     -           Is it the senior or junior counsel that we learn indiscipline from-
what do we teach our law students?
12.15-01.15     -           Why have we lost confidence in the process of disciplining lawyers in Nigeria?
01.15-02.15     -           Lunch Break
02.15-03.15     -           The emergence of law firms’ websites: Do we have any rules on advertisement?
03.15-04.15     -           The right of clients to litigate and litigate- when should the lawyer stop!
04.15-04.30     -           Wrap up/close for the day

DAY TWO
08.30-09.00     -           REGISTRATION
09.00-10.00     -           Conflict of interest: do we really care?
10.00-11.00     -           Lawyers negligence or incompetence in a client’s case: the
standard of irresponsibility punishable
11.00-11.15     -           Break
11.15-12.15     -           Separating our funds from the client’s- the increasing cases of
failure to account: should there be an Inspectorate Commission for law firms
12.15-01.15     -           The confrontation between confidentiality and the EFCC Act: any solutions?
01.15-02.15     -           Lunch Break
02.15-03.15     -           Protecting or exposing our courts: what are the advocates’ duties
towards the courts?
03.15-04.15     -           Resolutions
04.15-04.30     -           Wrap up and close of Symposium

Kaodi Onuoha
Programme Officer, NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education