Dignity Law Chambers

18/02/2023

CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP: STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LAW FIRM

THE NECESSARY TRANSFORMATION FOR MORE PROFITABLE LAW FIRM
-Are you a lawyer?
- You want to open a law firm?
- You have a law firm and are experiencing difficulties?

TOPIC OF INTEREST: Practical Guide to developing your law firm/ clientele
We shall break it into 4 parts:

- Law Office/Client Management
- Networking And Figuring Out New Opportunities/Exposure
- Change Of Strategy- ADR As Oppose To Litigation
- Specialization

LAW OFFICE /CLIENT MANAGEMENT:

Managing a law firm entails offering legal services to the public and with this there is need for a strong team with an excellent client relationship. Managing a law office with a client base approach is not only about having the best of clients but how well structured the operational system is. Managing a law firm also requires an excellent level of communication and strategic implementation of useful communication software to ease communication in and out of the four walls. A perfect communication system within eases the proper handling of files to the satisfaction of the clients. The work load is easily distributed, assignments handled, thus the comfort becomes that of the client who has the recommending tool for present and future growth. Unfortunately many of us are engaged in solo practice; either engaged in paid space with individualized files or solo occupants. The growing society with its upward intellectual know how, will certainly feel comfortable to seek the services of a law office with partners that certainly guarantees availability and continuity. It is easy to charge good fees within a well-organized and appreciated structure.
To those in solo practice I recommend partnership and those in space occupying partnership, get into the true definition of partnership.

NETWORKING AND FIGURING OUT NEW OPPORTUNITIES/EXPOSURE

As blood is to the sustenance of animals and jurisdiction is to the courts, so it Networking to a law firm. Law practice is untrammeled, though the Bar law places a restriction on advertisement (which is a common phenomenon in the developed world where you see law firms advertising on billboards.) However, there are so many other ways the law office can network and sell out to the public, as a service provider; either on a face to face basis or via visual interactions.
The dynamism of a lawyer within the right social milieu is the inevitable advertisement of his law firm. Your courteous nature shall necessitate acknowledgment, respect and then recommendations.
Joining international professional association, IBA, ABA, AEA international lawyers network (Association of European lawyers) etc, where you get to meet lawyers of different nationalities and different fields of practice, occasioning exposure, which of necessity gets the firm exposed and connected, thus enlarging your client base.
Create an office page, website, connect to premium on LinkedIn and many other professional sites. These sites, enable you to address burning legal issues, do exposees on basic human rights, company law etc and by so doing, sells out the ability and know-how of your law office.

What is your level of interaction? Is it profitable enough to guarantee the sustenance of your firm? What are your fears in getting into the right places? What are your difficulties with gargets and their manipulations?

CHANGE OF STRATEGY- ADR AS OPPOSE TO LITIGATION

The traditional legal response to resolving disputes between parties has been for lawyers to initiate the litigation process by filing a complaint or the needed writs and motions. This has been the traditional method for centuries, which unfortunately is more time consuming, energy breaking and has in recent years seen justice as a commodity on sale. In recent times more effective, efficient and confidence base methods of problem solving have emerged, ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution). ADR is an umbrella term that refers generally to alternatives to the court adjudication of disputes. These include amongst others negotiation, mediation and arbitration. A firm’s ability to initiate faster problem solving methods keeps it in business as oppose to litigation minded law offices, who enjoy daily roll call attendance in court with crying and devastated clients begging for results.
ADR methods to resolving disputes within a shorter time is taking central stage and will certainly build the needed confidence and do the needful advert and provide the needed cash within the shortest time possible to see into the daily running and sustenance of the law firm. This cannot be done without a decent, organized and well equipped office.

SPECIALIZATION:

While in theory, the idea of casting a wider net may lead you to believe that you will catch more fish, the truth is it does not always apply to business. When it comes to catching customers, the more you appeal to one specific kind of customer, the higher your success rate, the more qualified you will be at what you do. Practicing law is no exception. In today’s age, more and more law offices are starting to recognize legal specialization as a necessity for tapping into their target market, not only does it benefit the client, it also benefits legal professionals. The practice in the North West has always been general base due to the limitations occasion by the absence of industries and giant companies needing specific services like in other regions. However hardship seems to be playing the trick, more and more lawyers are getting back into the academia for specialization or approaching professional certifications.
Where are you in all of these, what are you fears, what is stopping you from joining the moving train?

THE RIGHT MOTIVATIONAL STEPS TO MEDITATE ON

Like you to read the motivational speaker Anthony J. Robbins in his book “Awaken the Giant Within”. He employs Neuro-Associative Conditioning (NAC) technics which can break self-destructive habits and change mindset to breathe in the needed confidence. He recommends 5 steps.
1st Step: Decide what you really want and what is preventing you from having it;

2nd Step: Get a leverage (associate massive pain to your inability to changing now as oppose to massive pleasure to the experience of changing now)

3rd Step: interrupt the pattern (changing your ways or approach to practice, you cannot maintain the old methods and expect a different results)

4th Step: Create a new, empowering alternative (think of a better strategy that can assist you better your practice)

5th Step: Conditioning the new pattern of reasoning until it is consistent, until it is embedded in you.

6th Step: but it to test

All we need to do is to revisit our NAC above and adjust with the various steps to situate ourselves with new reasoning, new methods and seize new opportunities, we shall definitely experience the needed change and growth
Speaker: Mokom Jude (Aciarb)
Member of CBA & IBA

12/06/2021

WILLS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE
A will(testament) is a legal expression of an individual's(testator) wishes about the disposition of his/her property after death. Its a document by which a testator directs his/her estate to be distributed upon death. Same can be revoked or amended with a codicil by the testator.
Everyone above the age of 18 years can with full capacity execute a valid will, except he is of unsound mind and memory. However if there is evidence that a person who suffers from partial insanity had an interval of lucidity at the time of executing the will, then same shall remain valid.
Section 9 of the 1837 Wills Act, spells out the needful to make a will valid in the eyes of the law. The will most be; written, it most be signed by the testator and same most be signed in the both presence at the same time of the two witnesses.
The witnesses need not know the content of the will, as their presence and signatures on the will, are merely to attest to the physical presence and signature of the testator and not the content. Later amendments on the law have included videoconference or other visual transmissions for the attesting witnesses who attest to the signature of the testator on a testamentary document.
However Section 11 of same law comes in with the exception to Section 9, as the conditions spelled out in Section 9 do not apply to soldiers being in actual military service. A mere written declaration in the handwriting of the soldier or verbal witnessed declaration can invite validity.
The drawing up of a will does not precipitate nor is it indicative of the soonest future death of the testator. However the only human factor that remains an aphorism and certain is that after birth, death is inevitable, unfortunately the hour remains a fact known only to our Maker. Therefore the drafting of wills remain as important as planning for the future of you family. Many families have been plunge into chaos waters at the death of a parent or sibling cause he/she died intestate( without a will). It’s therefore important for those who have amassed wealth in whatever dimension to get a solicitor (Barrister) draft them a valid will, as the benefits cannot be underestimated.
These wills can be amended overtime as more properties are acquired or with alterations in the intention of the testator.

14/07/2017

Dignity

13/10/2015

25/09/2015

http://cameroon-concord.com/news/health/item/4206-cameroon-says-children-often-neglected-due-to-poor-follow-up-in-early-pregnancy

Find breaking health news on health, health care, mental health, drugs, diet, pregnancy, babies, cancer, AIDS and Ebola etc from Cameroon Concord

13/09/2015

Please kindly read what Barrister Tambe Daniel culled from a UN site on the role of a lawyer and posted on the common law furum which I found useful for our page to share.

Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers

Adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Havana, Cuba
27 August to 7 September 1990
Whereas in the Charter of the United Nations the peoples of the world affirm, inter alia , their determination to establish conditions under which justice can be maintained, and proclaim as one of their purposes the achievement of international cooperation in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms without distinction as to race, s*x, language or religion,

Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines the principles of equality before the law, the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, and all the guarantees necessary for the defence of everyone charged with a penal offence,

Whereas the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights proclaims, in addition, the right to be tried without undue delay and the right to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law,

Whereas the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recalls the obligation of States under the Charter to promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and freedoms,

Whereas the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment provides that a detained person shall be entitled to have the assistance of, and to communicate and consult with, legal counsel,

Whereas the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners recommend, in particular, that legal assistance and confidential communication with counsel should be ensured to untried prisoners,

Whereas the Safeguards guaranteeing protection of those facing the death penalty reaffirm the right of everyone suspected or charged with a crime for which capital punishment may be imposed to adequate legal assistance at all stages of the proceedings, in accordance with article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

Whereas the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power recommends measures to be taken at the international and national levels to improve access to justice and fair treatment, restitution, compensation and assistance for victims of crime,

Whereas adequate protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms to which all persons are entitled, be they economic, social and cultural, or civil and political, requires that all persons have effective access to legal services provided by an independent legal profession,

Whereas professional associations of lawyers have a vital role to play in upholding professional standards and ethics, protecting their members from persecution and improper restrictions and infringements, providing legal services to all in need of them, and cooperating with governmental and other institutions in furthering the ends of justice and public interest,

The Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, set forth below, which have been formulated to assist Member States in their task of promoting and ensuring the proper role of lawyers, should be respected and taken into account by Governments within the framework of their national legislation and practice and should be brought to the attention of lawyers as well as other persons, such as judges, prosecutors, members of the executive and the legislature, and the public in general. These principles shall also apply, as appropriate, to persons who exercise the functions of lawyers without having the formal status of lawyers.

Access to lawyers and legal services

1. All persons are entitled to call upon the assistance of a lawyer of their choice to protect and establish their rights and to defend them in all stages of criminal proceedings.

2. Governments shall ensure that efficient procedures and responsive mechanisms for effective and equal access to lawyers are provided for all persons within their territory and subject to their jurisdiction, without distinction of any kind, such as discrimination based on race, colour, ethnic origin, s*x, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, economic or other status.

3. Governments shall ensure the provision of sufficient funding and other resour

09/09/2015

Can our courts in Cameroon mount this courage of separation of powers to rule against the state?

In an worldwide first, the Hague District Court has ordered the Dutch government to cut its greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by at least 25% compared to 1990 levels by the end of 2020. Worldwide Environment Saxe Law Office 27 Aug 2015

01/09/2015

Hints on drafting an all inclusive arbitration clauses

In 2007, the House of Lords declared that it was time to make a fresh start in the English approach to the scope and effect of arbitration clauses. Canada Corporate/Commercial Law McMillan LLP 28 Aug 2015