…lawyers understand the principle of nemo dat quod non habet—one cannot give what one does not have. A lawyer who does not have good health may eventually find it difficult to give clients the vigorous representation they deserve.
By Moruff O. Balogun, Esq.
Former Vice Chairman, NBA, Ijebu Ode Branch
As another legal year beckons and the long vacation gradually comes to an end, I believe every lawyer should pause for a moment—not to think about briefs, court appearances, fees or clients, but about life itself.
The legal profession is demanding. We work long hours, travel extensively, sit for hours in court, prepare processes late into the night and carry the burdens of our clients as though they were our own. We pursue the next brief, the next case and, understandably, the next income.
But in the midst of all these pursuits, we sometimes forget the most important brief of all: the brief of our own lives.
I am reminded of this whenever I pass the imposing law edifice built in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, by Late A.A. Ogunba, Esq.
He built a mighty professional legacy. He created an institution that spoke of hard work, vision, ambition and success. Yet, tragically, he died at a time when many would probably not have expected that his journey would end.
Each time I pass that office, my heart shakes.
It reminds me that a lawyer can build an edifice that outlives him, but cannot build a body that is immune from mortality.
It reminds me that we can spend decades building chambers, winning cases, mentoring younger lawyers and accumulating wealth, only to discover that life itself is not entirely within our control.
And the lesson is sobering:
The office may remain. The files may remain. The name may remain. But the lawyer may be gone.
This is why the health and well-being of Nigerian lawyers must become a matter of serious concern.
The Nigerian Bar Association and its branches should also continue to promote wellness initiatives, medical awareness, counselling and other programmes that will help lawyers take their physical and mental health seriously
Many vibrant lawyers have become inactive, not necessarily because of old age, but because good health deserted them. Some who should still be appearing regularly in our courts are now confined by ill health. Some have had to withdraw from active practice. Others have passed away suddenly, leaving behind families, colleagues, clients and unfinished dreams.
We must therefore stop assuming that because we are still young, energetic or apparently healthy, nothing can happen to us.
Death does not always send an appointment letter. Illness does not always announce its arrival.
We lawyers understand the principle of nemo dat quod non habet—one cannot give what one does not have. A lawyer who does not have good health may eventually find it difficult to give clients the vigorous representation they deserve.
Yes, we need money.
Yes, we need the fat briefs.
Yes, we need successful chambers.
Yes, we need professional recognition.
But we need life and good health even more.
A lawyer cannot effectively serve or represent a client from a hospital bed. A lawyer cannot enjoy the proceeds of a successful practice when illness has taken away the ability to live normally. And no amount of professional success can compensate a family for the permanent loss of a loved one.
The courts can adjourn a case.
A client can brief another lawyer.
A matter can be rescheduled.
A colleague can take over a file.
But life does not always grant an adjournment.
As we return from vacation, therefore, let us return differently.
Let us listen to our bodies.
Let us undergo appropriate medical check-ups.
Let us rest when we are exhausted.
Let us exercise.
Let us eat responsibly.
Let us take persistent symptoms seriously.
Let us pay attention to our mental health.
Let us learn to delegate.
Let us create boundaries between our professional responsibilities and our personal lives.
And let us stop wearing exhaustion as a badge of professional honour.
There is nothing heroic about working oneself into ill health.
The Nigerian Bar Association and its branches should also continue to promote wellness initiatives, medical awareness, counselling and other programmes that will help lawyers take their physical and mental health seriously.
We owe this to ourselves, our families, our clients and the profession we love.
As the vacation ends, therefore, please do
•Moruff O. Balogun, Esq, is a former Vice Chairman, NBA, Ijebu Ode Branch.
•Opinions, positions or thoughts expressed here are personal and strictly of writer/author and do not represent the views of The Daily Crucible.
