NBA Moves To Streamline Remuneration, Income Of Lawyers

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 on Monday by NBA President, 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”.

Read the full statement below:

Dear Colleague,

As part of our commitment towards improving the earning capacity of lawyers in Nigeria, my team and I recently set up (with the National Executive Committee) a Remuneration Committee for the Nigerian Bar Association (the “Committee”). The Committee is to, broadly speaking, design a workable and enforceable framework under which lawyers will (i) charge the right fees for their legal services using acceptable and realistic metrics; and (ii) 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.

The Committee needs your input to develop a robust and largely acceptable framework. The NBA, therefore, encourages you to kindly participate in the process and cooperate with the consultants, if contacted. In the interim, please click HERE to complete the remuneration/scale of charges questionnaire no later than 18th July 2021.

The consultants will not ask you for any banking or other sensitive information. I also have the assurance of the Committee and the consultants that all information provided will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Thank you for your cooperation and have a great week ahead.

Sincerely,

OLUMIDE AKPATA

President,

Nigerian Bar Association