Human Resource: Knowing just law as a Lawyer is zero skill - Legal Practitioner
Also, she indicated that technology enhances globalization thus law, which is a knowledge-driven profession should take advantage while noticing the risks associated relative to the Panama papers.
There are two main types of Lawyers; Lawyers with Entrepreneurial skills and those without. Knowing just Law as a lawyer is zero per cent.
One of the things we need to look at when looking at human resources is, what are the phenomena we are confronted with?
These are some of the views expressed by a lecturer and Managing Partner of AB and David Law Firm, Ms. Isabel Boateng at the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF LEGAL EDUCATION IN GHANA/ AFRICA.
Speaking as a Panelist on the topic; HUMAN RESOURCES FOR LEGAL EDUCATION, she highlighted four (4) human resource skills needed by lawyers in Ghana today. They are; Globalization; Preparedness for the new Africa (AFCFTA), competition and Technology.
On Globalization, she mentioned that we are in a Global world whether one likes it or not thus one is confronted with Jurisdictional practice which opens up our legal system to other lawyers from other countries thus Lawyers ought to be concerned, prepare and adapt.
“We are faced with Globalization. What does that mean for us as a profession?. That means that a lot of the times we hear of Jurisdictional practice. What does that mean for the lawyer and Legal education in the future?.”
“If you are in a globalized world, where there is jurisdictional practice, that means that your legal sector is open to other lawyers from other countries. For those of us in private practice, you see the onslaught of international Law firms coming to do legal work in Ghana and leaving,” she noted.
Secondly, Ms Boaten spoke about the new Africa(AFCFTA) and how lawyers can benefit. She mentioned that we are witnessing a vision envisaged about 60 years ago thus lawyers need to decipher what that means. However, she lamented the fact that if lawyers don’t sit up, all the investment of AFCFTA will go waste to their disadvantage.
“The next thing is about the new Africa and AFCFTA. We are witnessing a lifetime vision of 60 years ago and what does that mean to us? We are talking about a 4 trillion GDP consolidated. We are talking of a market in terms of Africa over a million people in the area of transportation, Industry etc. How do we as lawyers prepare to have lawyers who will be able to face the realities of our time?” she said.
Moreover, she noted that technology is not a new phenomenon due to covid and its springing up of technological tools that had existed years before the pandemic. Also, she indicated that technology enhances globalization thus law, which is a knowledge-driven profession should take advantage while noticing the risks associated relative to the Panama papers.
Additionally, Ms Boaten spoke about competition especially from the alternative service providers like the KPMG, Deloitte, who are doing works that are ordinarily the preserve of lawyers thus urged lawyers to equip themselves up to face them equally. Also, she admonished lawyers to tune their minds and also embrace the realities and effective use of AIs especially by Internationally reputable firms in legal works.
“The other key thing I want us to look at is about competition which is within and without. That competition is great because it pushes us as lawyers and law firms to do better. But the other thing that I want all of us to be mindful of is that when we think about legal education and practice, we ought to think about Alternative Services providers like the KPMG, the Deloitte who are doing works that ordinarily,” she indicated.
