After my fatal experience during my first legal job, for a client; it dawned on me how badly I needed to attach myself to a law chamber to learn the basics of law practice under an experienced lawyer as classroom law theories and real life law practice were not entirely the same. So I dished out my CV to remote law firms close to my house and within a couple of weeks, I got a legal job in an extremely conservative legal office that needed a lawyer so bad at that point.
On my first day at work, my new boss didn’t come to the office that Wednesday morning because of some health challenges. So, I was at the mercy of his Secretary to walk me round the terrains of my new office. As if that was not enough sign that some forces were looking for whom to mess with on this legal road. I was shown my new office corner which comprised of my table, chair and a tiny table drawer for some personal items. I thanked her, sat down and started flipping through my law school note books to form a little serious and remind myself that legal work has started.
About 1hr.30mins later after my arrival, I heard voices outside that seemed to be arguing over what I did not know. Oh well, I was new, minding my business at this point was my best bet for now. 5mins into their supposed argument, the Secretary walked up to my desk where I was pressing my phone and acting as if I was reading and said “Sister, please, have you been called”? I adjusted my shirt proudly and was like, yea sure! She muttered “thank God”. In my mind I was like, for?
She then dropped the bomb. “Please, kindly come and attend to this impatient client for me”. He’s beyond control. He wants to talk to a lawyer. All efforts to explain to him that Oga (Boss) will not come till 3pm proved abortive. Oga will be very angry if he learns I let a Client go in his absence. This was the first one since this week and he came based on referrals. All what she was saying were like rain drippings to my ears. Deep in my mind, I was literally shaking. I wanted to scream, “Don’t you know I am new here”? My first legal job experience was all that kept flashing through my mind. Why does it have to be me? Could this be my village people?
I couldn’t refuse her request; after all I was now a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. As I was about to step out with her, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and had to run to the restroom. My palms were sweating. My oxygen inflow was starting to pulsate. What a life? I prayed to God for mercy. I pulled myself together, mustered some courage and made way for the reception room. As I walked into the reception room, I saw an average height pot bellied man with mismatched buttons pacing up and down the reception room. Good afternoon Sir, I said to him. He replied “Ehen, nwatakiri” (ok small girl) and continued pressing his phone.
Sir, my name is Barr. Amalachukwu, I am here to take your brief! There was deaf silence everywhere. He quietly turned towards my direction, stared at me from head to toe and said “Nne isi gini”? (My daughter, what did you say)? I repeated myself again and he started laughing hysterically. What exactly was making him laugh was beyond my understanding at that point, coupled with my own personal anxiety that it was my very first official brief taking in a law office environment. He said, “My daughter, I want a lawyer not a receptionist or secretary”. Sir, I am the lawyer on seat right now. You can talk to me.
At this point, he flared up. His voice became worse than it was when he was arguing with the Secretary. Where is Barr. Odukwe? It seems Okparaku lied to me that he was good. What sort of insult is all these? Since when did a small girl like you start answering a barrister? Are you not aware that I am a titled Chief? You should be learning how to be in your husband’s house and bear children and not demanding I discuss issues that are meant for elders with you. For over 30mins, he berated me nonstop. He sternly refused to speak to me after every plea by the Secretary and I. He stormed out of our office and never came back.
In the midst of all these, my face looked extremely offended in a graceful way so as to maintain my reputation before the Secretary, but I was a bit relieved and happy within me that I didn’t get to take his brief because it was my first day of learning legal practice. I kept wondering if someone pre informed him that I was inexperienced in practice or he had some magical powers that showed him how I was fidgeting earlier on before I came to meet him. However, as the years went by in my career, it dawned on me that there were so many Ignorant people like him who are gender biased when it gets to the legal profession and not that he had any magical wand that communicated my feelings that day to him.
It is always so sad whenever one encounters such ignorant clients. Clients like the man above believe the legal profession is a profession that is solely reserved for the male gender and they make sure they berate, degrade and insult any female they meet on wig and gown. This is a very wrong perception that must be stopped by the culprits. There are many female lawyers that are extremely better than some male lawyers (this is not gender compares please). And a good lawyer is not known by their grey hairs but what he or she has upstairs and how they deliver their duty.
My subsequent reactions to such ignorant outbursts over the years have been sterner albeit laced with undertone disgust and proper education than the first one that ended in me being extremely relieved instead of sad because I was truly inexperienced at the time.