A Law Graduate In Service
There's always this reiterated fact, as I'd preferably love to it, that law graduates should prioritise going to law school before serving as a corp member. This fact is based on several attached benefits and opportunities that being a called lawyer offers you as a corp member. These advantages appear way earlier before you even get posted to your Place of Primary Assignments (PPA).
At the NYSC camp, there's a loud favouritism given to called members in comparison to law graduates. One of which is that the law graduates are unable to become a member of the Camp Court—a court established by the NYSC by-laws to oversee the functions of a court. The members of the camp court are empowered to preside over matters that happen within the camp and during the camp duration of three weeks. Contrarily, law graduates are readily sidelined in all related matters, and as such, often become mere spectators in these situations.
Initially, I was confused if I was making the best choice proceeding with the service year in order to make good use of the one year. Or to stay at home, get busy with something—intern at a firm or apply for jobs and get paid pending the time I get the opportunity to go law school. But the thought of having a year go by without having anything substantial going along with my legal career choice having waited for a year, adding another year to it wasn't exactly the wise choice. Even the principal partners of the firm I was interning before advised that I should go for service instead. In spite of this, I still had doubts in my mind.
How My Daily Life Looks Like
My daily life is simple actually. Oftentimes, especially days that we get to go to court, I leave my house around 8:00 am. The distance to the court takes me roughly fifteen minutes. I usually take keke to reduce the transport cost. From the court, our principal takes us to the office in his car. On the days where we don't have a case at the court, I go to the office directly. The transport cost is 700 naira—additional 200 naira to the initial amount. From this, my normal daily transport cost is 1,400 naira. This isn't easy to be honest, especially when there are lots of things I had to sort out for the purpose of settling in a new location. I adjusted luckily with the support I randomly had from people around me.
As for the working hours, which isn't something that is easy to tolerate, we resume work at 8:00 am and close at 6:00 pm. During the day, we hardly have anything we're doing as most works get completed at the court, even printing. I get myself engaged with something to get me busy. Sometimes, I play games, listen to music or watch movies. The other times, I focus on the graphic design course I was taking. I have been taking it for a while now. The main idea is not to have something that keeps me engaged and readily sharp.
However, I was able to adjust easily due to the experience I had in my previous internship placement. Sometimes, we close around 7, 8, depending on the loads of work. My boss is actually a reasonable person. He drops me at the junction of my house, and he's someone that often randomly buys us stuff, foods and offers a monthly stipend of 20,000 naira. Sometimes, he also pays our transport fare.
I arrive home often late, and sometimes resort to buying food instead of cooking, which is not something I find interesting. Cooking takes time and effort that you'd rather expend towards something else. That's my belief. But on the days when sapa held my neck, I'd cook or take the quick one (Garri).
Am I Enjoying My Service?
Honestly, it's not something I consider that bad especially when you have a work partner that is very considerate enough to put you through from the outset. He helped with sorting out accommodation, identification of locations among several other things which were quite helpful.
I also have a girlfriend. We met in camp and luckily for her, and quite unlucky for me, I was posted to Ilorin. The relocation I was processing didn't work on. This eventually got us closer, and we set it off and something probably fated.
Another thing I found comforting was the accommodation. I have good neighbours that are calm and reasonable. I got offered food twice in the first two weeks I got there. And of course, I love food.
What Am I Doing During The Service Year
Despite the doubt and the obvious difficult decision I had to make, one thing I was very intentional about before going for service was that I didn't want the year to pass without gaining something tangible from it. Beyond the legal experience I was going to get from the chambers, I wanted to use the opportunity to improve myself in other areas—especially things that would improve me financially.
Presently, I am learning graphic design. It is something I have always been interested in and had started before service. Since most days at the office are not always packed with work from morning till evening, I use the free periods to watch tutorials, practice designs and improve my skills. I recently got my PC, and I'm committed to making good use of it during this period. The goal is to leave the service year with something that can create additional opportunities for me in the future.
Apart from graphic design, I spend time reading and trying to stay updated with legal developments. Although I am yet to attend law school, I do not want to become disconnected from the profession entirely. Sometimes, I revisit notes, read legal articles or engage in discussions that help me remain familiar with the field.
I have also come to realise that the service year gives one something many people underestimate, which is time. The challenge, however, is knowing what to do with that time. It is very easy to spend the entire year moving from one day to another without any meaningful growth. Before you realise it, the service year is over and nothing has really changed.
What's The Financial Reality of Service
One aspect of service that many people do not talk about enough is the financial aspect. The monthly allowance from the government is helpful, but it is hardly enough to comfortably cover all expenses depending on where you are serving.
Accommodation, transportation, feeding and other miscellaneous expenses can quickly consume a large percentage of what comes in every month. There are days when you have to make decisions between convenience and saving money. Sometimes, you choose to trek instead of taking transport. Other times, you decide to cook rather than buy food.
For me, having a principal who occasionally assists with transport and provides a monthly stipend has made things considerably easier. Without that support, the financial pressure would have been much more noticeable.
Nevertheless, the experience has taught me something important about money management. Once you begin living alone and paying for things yourself, you become more conscious of every naira spent. Suddenly, expenses that looked insignificant before become very important.
The Lessons I Have Learnt So Far
One lesson service has taught me is adaptability. Regardless of how much you plan ahead, there will always be situations you did not anticipate. You may be posted to a state you never imagined living in. You may struggle with accommodation, transportation or even adjusting to a new environment.
However, with time, things somehow begin to fall into place.
Another lesson is the importance of relationships. A lot of the things that have made my service year easier came through people. From colleagues and neighbours to my work partner and principal, the support of people around me has contributed significantly to my experience.
I have also learnt that opportunities often come disguised as inconveniences. If someone had told me before camp that I would be serving in a different state and adapting to an entirely new environment, I probably would not have been excited about it. Yet, many of the experiences and lessons I have gained came because of that posting.
Would I Recommend Going For Service Before Law School?
No, actually. Unless you're being delayed, I'd advise not to go for service before law school.
This is because of the obvious disadvantages. The limitations faced by law graduates within the NYSC system are real. There are opportunities reserved exclusively for called lawyers that you simply cannot access. At times, it feels like you're standing just outside a door that you're qualified to enter but are not allowed through.
Everyone's circumstances are different, so there is no universally correct choice. Some people may benefit more from waiting for law school, while others may find value in proceeding with service first.
For me, choosing service was ultimately choosing movement over waiting. And so far, despite the challenges, it has been an experience worth having so far.
