The Legacy Dialogue

The Johnny Agim, SAN Foundation (“JASAN Foundation” / “the Foundation”) was set up primarily to foster mentoring and legal education sponsorships for young lawyers from year 0 [Final year university law graduates] to 10 years post Call-to-Bar legal experience. Thus the Foundation has its keen sights on promoting excellence for lawyers; and at the core of its purpose, JASAN Foundation functions as a legal legacy building institution … Building a Legacy of Institutions, across generations … Human,  Legal, Judicial, and Corporate – an established law, practice, or culture of operations  and Legal Practice Business [LPB] protocol that ultimately builds the man [the young  lawyer], through a deliberate mandate and foundation to becoming an institution.

The Foundation’s innovative legal ecosystem idea in Nigeria was borne out of the desire of the Founder, Mr. Johnny Agim, SAN to contribute to the success of the legal  profession in addressing the void and the dearth of pupilage which has resulted in the  decline in the art of legal practice in Nigeria and it is anchored on three main pillars:

a) Mentorship
b) Indigent Lawyers Sponsorship
c) Legal Service Reforms, and Public Interest Advocacy

The Foundation’s global strategy for achieving its vision is about disrupting the legal profession, improving the justice sector and ACCELERATING PROGRESS FOR  LAWYERS by challenging the status quo and amplify impact with young law  graduates and young lawyers through our strategic objectives, partnerships and  collaborations. It is about building new solutions and systems to last a lifetime and  “The Legacy Dialogue” is one of its key vehicles for achieving its ultimate vision.

Scholarships and sponsorships are transformative catalysts in legal education, extending far beyond mere financial assistance. By democratising access to legal  studies, these initiatives bridge the gap between talent and opportunity, fostering a  diverse and inclusive legal profession that mirrors the society it serves. Further, it is  instructive that beyond alleviating financial burdens, scholarships and sponsorships  cultivate academic excellence, drive intellectual rigor, and promote a culture of  competition. They often come with mentorship, networking opportunities, and  internships, nurturing holistic development and preparing future legal professionals for  success. The impact of these initiatives resonates far beyond individual students,  contributing to a more equitable legal landscape.

In JASAN Foundation, we believe that by funding specialised legal studies, scholarships and research, we propel the evolution of the law, fostering innovation and  addressing emerging challenges. The symbiotic relationship between the academia and  the legal industry is strengthened, benefiting law firms and corporations through a  robust talent pipeline and enhanced reputations. In essence, scholarships and  sponsorships are investments in the future of the legal profession, expanding access,  nurturing talent, promoting diversity, and driving innovation. They significantly  contribute to creating a more just, equitable, and dynamic legal landscape.

The concept of mentoring is one ladened with meaning. Mentoring and/or mentorship is a relationship between an experienced individual (the mentor) and a less experienced individual (the mentee) in which the mentor provides guidance, support, and encouragement to help the mentee develop their skills, knowledge, and abilities, often in  a professional or educational setting.

We believe that mentoring is very essential in the legal profession as the mentee is shown a clearer pathway towards fulfilling his ambition, necessary pitfalls to avoid and relies on invaluable advice given to him by his mentor who, by virtue of experience is  better grounded and equipped than himself – in the knowledge, practice, art, and  business of the law. Thus, the benefits of mentoring include guidance and support to  mentees, reducing the incidences of mistakes, instilling leadership qualities and the  much-needed exposure for a mentee to not only survive but thrive.

Further, mentoring also helps to instill the much-needed values in the legal profession, thereby preserving the tradition of the legal profession. It is thus crucial for the success and sustainability of the Legal Profession and helps to navigate through the complexities that may come with it. At JASAN Foundation, we believe that through mentorship, the young lawyer aspires to become, knowing fully well that there are people who have gone ahead and done better for themselves.

This inaugural edition of JASAN Foundation #TheLegacyDialogue will hold in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Friday, 13th September 2024 from 05.00pm. The Chief  Guest of Honour, will be H.E., Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu, the Executive Governor of Cross River state, and the launch as a “2-Segment 4-in-1 event”, will comprise of the following sessions:

(a) The launch of JASAN Foundation and unveiling of its trans-generational institutional logo;
(b) The launch of “The Legacy Dialogue” as an annual legal cum socio-political engineering event;
(c) The launch of the JASAN Foundation N1Billion Endowment Fund [for Scholarships & Sponsorships]; and
(d) The 50th birthday celebration of the Founder, Mr. Johnny Agim, SAN.

The first segment of the event, being 3 (a – c) together tagged “The Legacy Dialogue 1.0”, will include a panel of discussion which will address the core objectives of JASAN Foundation as a novelle evolutionary system for the legal profession with its focus on the future of the law through maximising scholarship, sponsorship, and mentorship, as the Foundation commences it’s journey towards building a legacy of formidable and transgenerational human, legal, judicial, corporate and structural institutions for the reformation and repositioning of global Legal Practice Business (LPB), Legal Service Reforms & Public Interest Advocacy.

The crux of the topic is that a lawyer’s discovered identity is fundamental to their pursuit of vision and ultimate achievement in life. Therefore, becoming a Senior Advocate of  Nigeria (SAN), a Judge, Judicial Sector and Public Reform Advocate is a function of that identity, whether innate or professionally assumed in the process of BEcoming. Ultimately, the Legal Profession and the Judiciary are a function of the collective  identities of the individual lawyers who work and lead within those respective spaces.

The Legacy Dialogue 1.0, will address the topic from the origin of the identity of the young lawyer, as well as the place of mentorship and sponsorship with respect to their  aspiration, vision, pursuit of purpose, ultimate achievement in life and the role of the respective stakeholders, from three divergent yet contiguous perspectives, viz, the  judiciary, legal practice, and the academia [educational development and training]. So, this future of law dialogue is the first in many series to address the challenges facing the legal and judicial sectors in Nigeria.

The Panel would draw on varied ideas, perspectives, and experiences in analysing the topic as it takes a glimpse into the future of the Legal Profession in Nigeria strengthened by effective and impactful scholarship, sponsorship and mentorship for a  mutually beneficial future – one that would “foster sustainable growth and  development” for the system and its various stakeholders.

The first segment will also showcase the launch of the JASAN Foundation N1Billion Endowment Fund and the granting of awards for the inaugural Scholarship Programme and essay competition for 500 Level/ Final Year Law Students of Federal and State Universities across the Federation (the “#Legacy500 Competition”).

The #Legacy500 Competition will be an annual event as a precursor to The Legacy Dialogue. The Foundation has set up a target N1Billion Endowment Fund, and at the launch this year, we intend to raise the initial sum of N250M as part funding for the first cohort and offer full tuition scholarship to an initial 10 Law Graduates to the Nigerian Law School at the cost of N1.1m each; and these winners will subsequently be inducted into the #Legacy500 Elite Mentorship Programme after their Call to Bar; where they are expected to go through an intense mentorship process for the following 10years.

This inaugural competition is a pre-qualification requirement for potential beneficiaries of the Scholarship Programme inviting them to write an essay as well as provide a short video recording on the topic: “The Role, Challenges and Strategies of Mentorship in the Nigerian Legal Profession”; and it is an opportunity for the student applicants to  reflect on their education over the course of their stay in the University, ruminate on the legal practice opportunities that lie ahead and proffer suggestions on the required mentorship that the individual lawyer in particular and the legal profession in general requires to succeed in these opportunities.

The benefits, eligibility criteria, requirements, rules/guidelines for submission that will enable the panel of Judges make a decision are all included in the Call for Applications. An initial 30 (Thirty) Applicants who are successful in the selection process by the  JASAN Foundation Secretariat will be engaged in another shortlist round for the final  10 winners of this initial mentorship competition. The final 10 [Ten] 2024 winners will  be presented with their scholarship awards at The Legacy Dialogue on the 13th September 2024.

The JASAN Foundation #Legacy500 Elite Mentorship Programme entails the mentorship of young Lawyers from 0 – 10 years post call, with the aim of either  attaining or qualifying for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) or to be  appointed as a Judge; whilst the Sponsorship programme entails providing sponsorship / scholarship for selected Final Year Law students from Federal and State Universities  in Nigeria into Law School through a rigorous screening process; as well as the support of selected indigent Lawyers to induct them into the cohort of carefully selected 500  Elite Mentees known as the “Legacy 500” [#Legacy500] post Call-to-Bar.

In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and global interconnectedness, the legal profession is undergoing significant transformations. These changes are not only altering the practice of law but also influencing how legal professionals develop their identities, values, and careers. Within this evolving landscape, thus, the theme for  The Legacy Dialogue 1.0, which is “The Future of Law and Professional Identity  Formation: The Role of Strategic Sponsorship and Mentorship” is both timely and  crucial.

Currently, legal professionals face challenges in developing their identities, values, and careers. Strategic sponsorship and mentorship are crucial in forming professional  identity, offering guidance, opportunities, and visibility. Innovative approaches, diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential in fostering robust professional identities.  Collaboration between law firms, relevant institutions, legal educators, firms, and  organisations is necessary to cultivate these relationships, empowering the next  generation of legal professionals with a strong sense of identity, purpose, life design  [Massive Action Plan – MAP], and ethical grounding – helping them to not only  pioneer, but successfully navigate their career paths. Ultimately, strategic sponsorship  and mentorship are critical keys to unlocking the future of law and building ethical,  innovative, and compassionate leaders.

Providing a manual that reveals and catalyses the connection between purpose, discovery, destination, and design for the young lawyers; we would be starting with the first 10 (Ten) lawyers in 2024 and increase the numbers every year thereafter.

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