The inaugural edition of #TheLegacyDialoguepowered by Johnny Agim, SAN Foundation (“JASAN Foundation” / “the Foundation”) will hold in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Friday,13th September 2024 from 05.00pm. The Chief Guest of Honour, will be H.E., Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu, the Executive Governor of Cross River State, and the first part of the “2-Segment event”, will comprise of the following sessions:
(a) The launch of JASAN Foundation and unveiling of its trans-generational institutional logo;
(b) The launch of “The Legacy Dialogue” as an annual legal cum socio-political engineering event; and
(c) The launch of the JASAN Foundation N1Billion Endowment Fund [for Scholarships & Sponsorships].
The Legacy Dialogue 1.0, will include a panel of discussion which will address the core objectives of JASAN Foundation as a novelle evolutionary system for the legal profession with its focus on the future of the law through maximising scholarship, sponsorship, and mentorship, as the Foundation commences it’s journey towards “building a legacy of formidable and transgenerational human, legal, judicial, corporate and structural institutions for the reformation and repositioning of global Legal Practice Business (LPB), Legal Service Reforms & Public Interest Advocacy”.
The topic of The Legacy Dialogue 1.0 is:
“The Future of Law & Professional Identity Formation: The role of Strategic Sponsorship & Mentorship”.
The crux of the topic is that a lawyer’s discovered identity is fundamental to their pursuit of vision and ultimate achievement in life. Therefore, becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a Judge, Judicial Sector and Public Reform Advocate is a function of that identity, whether innate or professionally assumed in the process of BEcoming. Ultimately, the Legal Profession and the Judiciary are a function of the collective identities of the individual lawyers who work and lead within those respective spaces.
The Legacy Dialogue 1.0, will address the topic from the origin of the identity of the young lawyer, as well as the place of mentorship and sponsorship with respect to their aspiration, vision, pursuit of purpose, ultimate achievement in life and the role of the respective stakeholders, from three divergent yet contiguous perspectives, viz, the judiciary, legal practice, and the academia [educational development and training]. So, this future of law dialogue is the first in many series to address the challenges facing the legal and judicial sectors in Nigeria.
The Panel would draw on varied ideas, perspectives, and experiences in analysing the topic as it takes a glimpse into the future of the Legal Profession in Nigeria strengthened by effective and impactful scholarship, sponsorship and mentorship for a mutually beneficial future – one that would “foster sustainable growth and development” for the system and its various stakeholders.
1.1 The Scholarship Pre-Qualification Competition:
The Legacy Dialogue 1.0 will also showcase the launch of the JASAN Foundation N1Billion Endowment Fund and the granting of awards for the inaugural Scholarship Programme and essay competition for 500 Level/ Final Year Law Students cum Graduates of Federal and State Universities across the Federation (the “#Legacy500 Competition”).
The #Legacy500 Competition will be an annual event as a precursor to The Legacy Dialogue. The Foundation has set up a target N1Billion Endowment Fund, and at the launch this year, the Foundation intends to raise the initial sum of N250M [Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira only] as part funding for the first cohort and offer full tuition scholarship to an initial 10 Law Graduates to the Nigerian Law School at the cost of N1.1m each; and these winners will subsequently be inducted into the #Legacy500 Elite Mentorship Programme after their Call to Bar; where they are expected to go through an intense mentorship process for the following 10years. This inaugural competition is a pre-qualification requirement for potential beneficiaries of the Scholarship Programme; and the winners will be presented with their scholarship awards at The Legacy Dialogue on the 13th September 2024.
1.2 Unlocking the strategic scholarship, sponsorship and mentorship of young lawyers
The JASAN Foundation #Legacy500 Elite Mentorship Programme entails the mentorship of young Lawyers from 0 – 10 years post call, with the aim of either attaining or qualifying for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) or to be appointed as a Judge; whilst the Sponsorship programme entails providing sponsorship / scholarship for selected Final Year Law students from Federal and State Universities in Nigeria into Law School through a rigorous screening process; as well as the support of selected indigent Lawyers to induct them into the cohort of carefully selected 500 Elite Mentees known as the “Legacy 500” [#Legacy500] post Call-to-Bar.
In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and global interconnectedness, the legal profession is undergoing significant transformations. These changes are not only altering the practice of law but also influencing how legal professionals develop their identities, values, and careers. Within this evolving landscape, thus, the theme for The Legacy Dialogue 1.0, which is“The Future of Law and Professional Identity Formation: The Role of Strategic Sponsorship and Mentorship” is both timely and crucial.
Currently, legal professionals face challenges in developing their identities, values, and careers. Strategic sponsorship and mentorship are crucial in forming professional identity, offering guidance, opportunities, and visibility. Innovative approaches, diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential in fostering robust professional identities. Collaboration between law firms, relevant institutions, legal educators, firms, and organisations is necessary to cultivate these relationships, empowering the next generation of legal professionals with a strong sense of identity, purpose, life design [Massive Action Plan – MAP], and ethical grounding – helping them to not only pioneer, but successfully navigate their career paths. Ultimately, strategic sponsorship and mentorship are critical keys to unlocking the future of law and building ethical, innovative, and compassionate leaders.
Providing a manual that reveals and catalyses the connection between purpose, discovery, destination, and design for the young lawyers; we would be starting with the first 10 (Ten) lawyers in 2024 and increase the numbers every year thereafter.
2. About Johnny Agim, SAN Foundation
JASAN Foundation was set up primarily to foster mentoring and legal education sponsorships for young lawyers from year 0 [Final year university law graduates] to 10 years post Call-to-Bar legal experience. Thus, the Foundation has its keen sights on promoting excellence for lawyers; and at the core of its purpose, JASAN Foundation functions as a legal legacy building institution … Building a Legacy of Institutions, across generations … Human, Legal, Judicial, and Corporate – an established law, practice, or culture of operations and Legal Practice Business [LPB] protocol that ultimately builds the man [the young lawyer], through a deliberate mandate and foundation to becoming an institution.
The Foundation’s innovative legal ecosystem idea in Nigeria was borne out of the desire of the Founder, Mr. Johnny Agim, SAN to contribute to the success of the legal profession in addressing the void and the dearth of pupilage which has resulted in the decline in the art of legal practice in Nigeria and it is anchored on three main pillars:
b) Indigent Lawyers Sponsorship
c) Legal Service Reforms, and Public Interest Advocacy
The Foundation’s global strategy for achieving its vision is about disrupting the legal profession, improving the justice sector and ACCELERATING PROGRESS FOR LAWYERS by challenging the status quo and amplify impact with young law graduates and young lawyers through our strategic objectives, partnerships and collaborations. It is about building new solutions and systems to last a lifetime and “The Legacy Dialogue” is one of its key vehicles for achieving its ultimate vision.