Group gives LASU Law Clinic facelift, priotises practical legal education – News Agency of Nigeria
Law
By Aderonke Ojediran
A group of individuals has rehabilitated the Lagos State University (LASU) Law Clinic to provide a more conducive environment for law students in the institution.
The spokesperson for the group, Mrs Afolakemi Ogunde, said on Tuesday in Lagos that the intervention was to honour retired Supreme Court Justice George Oguntade and give back to the university.
Oguntade was a Vice-Chancellor of LASU.
Ogunde said that the group had undertaken a similar project at the University of Lagos.
“For all of us, this was ultimately about giving back, creating impact and ensuring that students have an environment that reflects the quality of education and professional preparation we want for them,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group renovated an annex lecture hall at the University of Lagos in honour of Oguntade, describing the project as a tribute to his contribution to the legal profession.
Ogunde said the donors’ assessment of the LASU Law Clinic revealed that several amenities were delapidated and no longer functional.
She said the group toured the facility with a contractor, Mr Tosin Adeoye, to determine the extent of work required.
“It quickly became clear to us that the existing environment did not provide the kind of conducive and practical learning experience that law students deserved particularly in a space intended to prepare them for the realities of legal practice,” she said.
Ogunde said the renovation was designed not merely to improve the appearance of the facility but to make it more functional and suitable for clinical learning, practical simulations and professional skills development.
She expressed hope that the renovated facility would help to produce better-equipped, confident and professionally-grounded law students.
“Our hope is that every student who uses the facility will have a better learning experience and leave with stronger practical skills, greater confidence and deeper understanding of what it means to serve as a lawyer,” she said.
Ogunde, a law graduate of University of Lagos, said the group expected the university and students to take ownership of the facility and ensure its proper maintenance.
“Where there is an opportunity to create meaningful and sustainable impact, we will always be open,” she said.
The 40th President of the Law Students’ Society, LASU, Mr Emmanuel Sewanu, described the renovation as a boost to practical legal education.
Sewanu said the intervention had restored the law clinic to its intended purpose as a practical training environment for law students.
He said the facility had previously been used largely for lectures, offices, meetings and other activities, which gradually diminished its primary function as a law clinic.
According to him, the renovated facility would enable higher-level law students to establish and register their students’ chambers and begin their advocacy journey under the supervision and guidance of lecturers responsible for the clinic.
“The law clinic will bridge the gap between learning the law and practising the law.
“It will expose students to real-life legal issues while helping us to develop skills in legal research, client interviewing, communication, advocacy, problem-solving and professional ethics,” he said.
Sewanu thanked the donors, describing the intervention as an investment in the education, professional development and future of law students.
“On behalf of the LASU Law Students Society, I sincerely thank our donors for believing in the vision and supporting the transformation of the law clinic.
“Their contribution is more than financial support; it is an investment in the future of legal education,” he said.
The donors are Messrs Olugbenga Ajala, Atinuke Abanishe-Ajala, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, Michael Ojomo, Mustapha Ajenifuja, Harrison Agboifoh, Olukayode Adegbola and Kingsley Okpala as well as Mrs Afolakemi Ogunde.
The others are Messrs Olufemi Oyewole (SAN), Omotayo Oyewole, Tosin Adeoye, Evaristus Bassey, Adetokunbo Davies, Mobolaji Onimole and Debola Elias.
Miss Mariam Rasheed, a fourth-year law student of LASU, said the renovation had improved the condition of the facility and would make academic and practical activities more comfortable for students.
She said the renovated law clinic would support moot court sessions, advocacy training and other academic engagements.
“The renovation has provided a more comfortable and conducive environment for learning and practical legal activities.
“Continued improvement of lecture rooms, seating and other learning facilities will further enhance students’ concentration and overall academic experience,” she said.
A third year law student of the university, Mr Israel Omodudu, described the renovation as a significant improvement, particularly with the provision of a projector and modern lectern.
Omodudu said the facilities would make visual and audio-based learning more effective and engaging while exposing students to contemporary methods of legal education.
“The provision of a projector and modern lectern will make learning more practical and engaging.
“We also need other modern learning tools,” he said.
He appealed for more support for the clinic for greater efficiency.
“To the sponsors who funded this project, thank you for investing in our learning environment.
“To intending sponsors, your contribution can leave a lasting legacy because the impact of what you give today can benefit generations of students,” he said.
The renovated law clinic is expected to strengthen practical legal education at LASU by providing students with opportunities to engage with real-life legal issues while developing professional skills alongside their academic training.(NAN)
