A call to law students: be creative, serve clients

"Do not to lose hope in case you find work which is different from what you expected to do when you graduate."

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That's some of the counsel that city lawyer Luyimbazi Nalukoola has passed on to a group of Muslim law finalist students.

"Instead, be creative and serve clients," he tells them.

Luyimbazi works with M/S Mayanja Nakibuule & Co. Advocates and maintains that students need to understand the law and prepare to serve clients "efficiently".

In his guidance, he told the Muslim group from Law Development Centre (LDC) not to come up with excuses that they are segregated against and cannot easily practice law.

Master the law and be relevant to clients, he advised.

LDC, located on Makerere Hill, is the only institution in Uganda that offers the Bar Course leading to the award of the post-graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

It is the destination for university law students seeking to practice law.

Law students must successfully go through LDC before they can pratise law. (File photo)

But not everyone makes it through this tight phase. With this in mind, Luyimbazi called on the students to be ready and open to non-traditional opportunities.

"Do not be discouraged if your first job does not seem to involve legal matters or require legal skills.

"A person may decide to teach, run for office or open a new business. Your legal training allows you to have great flexibility.

Addressing the finalists at LDC in Kampala, Luyimbazi also encouraged them to seek mentors.

"There are senior lawyers who are in different departments in the local legal culture who can counsel you as you begin your career locally."

He reminded them to be ethical and to treat others with civility, respect and to be responsible to their families.

Luyimbazi has worked in several legal capacities such as Uganda Youth Empowerment Scheme, Makerere Women Development Association and as youth councilor and speaker of Kawempe Municipality, then-Kampala City Council.

He has also served as a guild minister of justice and constitutional affairs of Makerere University.