The Principal Partner of U.O. Sule SAN & Co., and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Usman Ogwu Sule, has called on young legal practitioners to uphold the highest ethical standards in the discharge of their professional duties, stressing that the future of the legal profession depends on the integrity and conduct of its younger generation.
Sule made this call while delivering a paper titled, ‘Ethical Standards of a Young Lawyer’, during the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Abuja Branch (Unity Bar) Young Lawyers Forum (YLF) Professional Development Scheme (PDS) training session held over the weekend at his law firm.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Towards Better Performance’, Sule underscored that adherence to ethics is not optional but a legal and moral obligation. He emphasised that professional ethics form the foundation of a credible legal system, noting that the Legal Practitioners Act (LPA) and the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) offer a clear framework that demands honesty, diligence, confidentiality, and loyalty from lawyers.
Referencing the RPC, Sule said: “A lawyer shall uphold and observe the rule of law, promote and foster the course of justice, maintain a high standard of professional conduct, and shall not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a legal practitioner.”
He further cited the Supreme Court’s decision in NBA v. Kehinde (2017) 11 NWLR (Pt. 1576) 225 (SC), noting that integrity is the cornerstone of legal practice, and any lawyer lacking this virtue “has no place in the temple of justice.”
Sule also reiterated the importance of affixing the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) stamp and seal to court processes, describing it as a safeguard for authenticity and professionalism.
