Hello Saffy,
Once you qualify as a full-fledged lawyer in Nigeria, ie, after you are called to the Nigerian bar, you would only have to do a 3-month post-call course, from July to September of any year at the Ghana School of Law in order to qualify for the Ghanaian bar in October of that same year. The post call course includes Constitutional law and Customary law. However, if you do not start your law school in Nigeria in July and are therefore not called to the Nigerian Bar, then your LLB would qualify you to do the 2-year professional course at the Ghana School of Law.

Hope this helps.

Sikanikufuor,

If you have completed your sixth form in the UK and want to pursue your university education in Ghana with the view to becoming a lawyer, then you can
1. Apply to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, to do a four year LLB after which you would proceed to the Ghana School of Law to do the 2-year professional Law Course.

2. Apply to the University of Ghana to pursue a 4-year LLB (formerly, the LLB was a postgraduate course but from this year, 2011, it will be offered as undergraduate course as well) and then proceed to the Ghana School of Law to do the 2-year professional law course.

Hello,
I am about to graduate from an American undergrad university and was interested in going to an American law school, but working in Ghana after law school. If anyone could tell me if this is possible through the post-call course? Is this advisable because the law is different in America?I enjoy the teaching styles of American law schools more, and think they prepare you better skills-wise. I 'm really looking for more information pertaining to American law schools, because I've seen more info on UK law schools.

Thanks!

Yes the BVC and LPC are recognised and meet the entry requirement for Bar 1 Course in Nigeria. You will not need an LLB.

please im a philosophy student at university of cape coast i want to pursue law ,so i want to know my chances whether i can switch to legon to pursue law or i have wait till my first degree to go to legon for the LLB

Hello Hukpasi,
The University of Ghana has not started offering LLB as an undergraduate course yet. You would therefore have to complete your Philosophy degree and DO YOUR NATIONAL SERVICE before you can apply to the University of Ghana to do your LLB.
Hope this helps.

There appears to have been changes made to the criterion for admissions into the Ghana law school effective from next year (2013). LLB holders from foreign countries (common law) will have to take in addition to Ghana legal system and the constitution - company law, commercial law, law of taxation, environmental law, intellectual property [E] and law of natural resources .

I was recently informed of these changes. I'm assuming those who have already undertaken these modules will be exempt. I'm awaiting further information from the registrar regarding the structure, fees, duration et al.

If anyone in the know can expand on this for us. I'm currently studying in the uk. I'm now caught in a serious bind. I'm currently taken eu law, public rights and civil procedure and criminal procedure. I've got one more semester remaining and the only module I can take on the list above is company law.

Holders of LPC will need 2 years training plus your licence in order to qualify for the postcall.

Holders of BVC will need to qualify as a full barrister plus your licence in order to qualify for the postcall. BVC qualification alone is no longer enough.

This new development is yet to be published on the Ghana school of law's website.

please does any one know anything about qualifying in Gambia and Liberia? i am a lawyer qualified in Nigeria and i want to qualify in Liberia and Gambia.
please i need details as to the requirements. thanks a lot

Can anyone help please? I have qualified in the UK as a barrister and obtained my LLB and LLM in the UK. I would now like to enrol on to the Nigerian Bar course, What are the requirements, i am not nigerian but togolese? Are there any restrictions to foreigners at all? How much are the fees for the foreigners who want to enrol on to the coure please?

Also how many years would i have to study if i have already been called to the UK bar? I understand one year and that it runs from october every year until June the followinjg year is that true?Do i get a practising certificate as soon as i complete the nigerian bar or would i have to complete pupillage in nigeria first?

I know there is bar part one and part two in nigeria do i qualify to do that at all with my LLB and LLM from UK? I would like to practice in nigeria and wonder how i get a practicing certificate to do so?

Also please direct me to a wesbite so that i can research from there and let me know when the application process into the law school commences.

Someone pls respond

Thanks

Information on the Nigerian Law School for training legal practitioners in Nigeria is available at http://mynlsp.com

Hi, i just finished my LPC and i intend to use this as a Bar part 1 entry at the Nigerian Law School, do any one knows there is anu other academic requirements attached to the LPC or is it only the transcripts and my LPC certificate that is required.

Can anyone help please? I have qualified in the UK as a barrister and obtained my LLB and LLM in the UK. I would now like to enrol on to the Nigerian Bar course, What are the requirements, i am not nigerian but togolese? Are there any restrictions to foreigners at all? How much are the fees for the foreigners who want to enrol on to the coure please?

Also how many years would i have to study if i have already been called to the UK bar? I understand one year and that it runs from october every year until June the followinjg year is that true?Do i get a practising certificate as soon as i complete the nigerian bar or would i have to complete pupillage in nigeria first?

I know there is bar part one and part two in nigeria do i qualify to do that at all with my LLB and LLM from UK? I would like to practice in nigeria and wonder how i get a practicing certificate to do so?

Also please direct me to a wesbite so that i can research from there and let me know when the application process into the law school commences.

Someone pls respond

Thanks

The link for nigerian law is http://mynlsp.com/

You must have an LLB degree to be able to qualify to attend Nigerian Law school. A mere BA in Law will not suffice. Also there are some subjects stipulated that are pre requisites which you should have done in your LLB. Sometimes from the layout of the subject choices in UK, it can mean that you may miss out on one or 2 subjects so for any subjects you are deficient in, the NLS provides you with an option of taking the subjects (at a cost obviously)... Everything is money in nigeria. I think it cost about 50,000 naira per subject but I'm not sure. You take this subjects along with you Bar 1 to get you up to speed with the Nigerian system. LPC and LLM does not count towards anything you do in the Law school. After passing the Bar 1, you then join the home students in October in commencing Bar 2. I wanted to go back to do my Bar 1 but due to limited funds and I know that I have to make up about 2 or 3 subjects plus the normal school fees for Bar 1 and Bar 2... I think I need to save up a bit more :-)

Bar 1 is about 3 to 4 months and Bar 2 then takes you up to the next year so it takes 1 year to complete. Being a Barrister in the UK will not count for anything expect for give you some experience in the mooring and court visits, I suppose.

This is what I compiled from the International Bar Association (IBA) website:

Ghana: http://www.ibanet.org/PPID/Constituent/Student_Committee/qualify_lawyer_Ghana.aspx
Nigeria: http://www.ibanet.org/PPID/Constituent/Student_Committee/qualify_lawyer_Nigeria.aspx

Bar Associations:
Ghana Bar Association: http://ghanabar.org/
Nigerian Bar Association: http://www.nigerianbar.org.ng/

Law schools:
Ghana Law School: http://www.gslaw.edu.gh/
Nigerian Law School: http://mynlsp.com/

Based upon the legal ramifications of jurisdiction. Both countries have their own customary approach toward legal practice. Despite both being common law jurisdictions. I digress.

Hope this helps.

Bondlincoln 17 above claims:
"LPC and LLM does not count towards anything you do in the law school"

The above statement is factually incorrect. Am a prospective law student and have done some research on the admission requirements for the Nigerian Law School. You can check it out on the website of IBA. For admission to Bar Part 1, a pass in the finals of any of the two associations ( for barristers and solicitors respectively) in England and Wales will suffice without having to be called to the Bar in England and Wales. In this regard whereas a pass in the CPE would not be sufficient, a pass in the LPC or BVC would be just fine. I stand to be corrected.

By the way I also have a query if any one out there can help. I have degrees in a none law field and am contemplating studying for my LLB, LLM or doing the PDL/LPC or BVC in England or Ghana because of the 2 year Senior Status and Postgraduate Programme opportunities. From my understanding of the requirements of the Nigerian Law School one needs to have an LLB from a Common Law Country which degree should not only include the 7 foundation common law subjects as obtains in England and Wales, but Law of Evidence as well. Furthermore, the LLB degree should be acceptable to the relevant authorities in the country of award for the purpose of further professional training to become a lawyer in the same country. In other words, it must satisfy the academic phase of the training to become a lawyer as specified by the legal education board or council of the country. This type of degree is called a "Qualifying Law Degree". In England and Wales, a QLD does not have to be an LLB. It could as well be an LLM or MLegStudies. As long as it is accepted as a QLD one could proceed with further training. Following from this therefore the Nigerian Law School aught to accept any degree by whatever nomenclature as long as it is from a common law country and covers the areas it requires. Question is : do they? Problem is am rather advanced in age and do possess post graduate degrees. Am planning to go into Law for the passion and not to make any career out of it.Thus I would rather do an LLM than join an LLB class even if it is of Senior Status as well. I do pray the NLS would not be too mechanical to insist that the degree must be an LLB, simplicita! Just wondering if anyone out there had any such experience with the NLS? If not what do you think? I have browsed the website of the NLS but could not get any answers.
Lastly, does the NLS require that the LLB or QLD to have been acquired over a certain minimum period? Say 2 or 3 years? What of 1 year period? Before you shout IMPOSSIBLE!, am very certain of it. I believe at LSBU and BPP you can obtain an LLB in one year after passing the Law Conversion Course (GDL) and obtaining additional credit (60, I believe) by writing a dissertation or so. It will equally cover all the 7 core common law subjects. The only difference with the GDL would be the additional 60 credit workload. Am not sure if such an LLB is a QLD in England and Wales. Can anyone who knows help? I know it sounds highly unlikely, but would the NLS now accept such a qualification because it has the tag "LLB"?

Bondlincoln 17 above claims:
"LPC and LLM does not count towards anything you do in the law school"

The above statement is factually incorrect. Am a prospective law student and have done some research on the admission requirements for the Nigerian Law School. You can check it out on the website of IBA. For admission to Bar Part 1, a pass in the finals of any of the two associations ( for barristers and solicitors respectively) in England and Wales will suffice without having to be called to the Bar in England and Wales. In this regard whereas a pass in the CPE would not be sufficient, a pass in the LPC or BVC would be just fine. I stand to be corrected.

Dude, I think you are the one factually incorrect. Go check your facts again. I have a lot of friends past and present in NLS and they have all completed Bar and LPC courses here and they still had to do Bar 1. Your qualification does not count towards your exams ooooo. The only way it will help you is to give you prior experience. Nigeria is a law onto themselves. Whether you read in IBA that you don't have to do this or that...or this counts towards that... When you get on ground you realise that things are different.
I repeat...your LPC here does not count towards any qualifications or exams in nigeria (not yet anyway). Be sure of your facts before you start dissing and attacking someone else s facts aiii.

Dude, I think you are the one factually incorrect. Go check your facts again. I have a lot of friends past and present in NLS and they have all completed Bar and LPC courses here and they still had to do Bar 1. Your qualification does not count towards your exams ooooo. The only way it will help you is to give you prior experience. Nigeria is a law onto themselves. Whether you read in IBA that you don't have to do this or that...or this counts towards that... When you get on ground you realise that things are different.
I repeat...your LPC here does not count towards any qualifications or exams in nigeria (not yet anyway). Be sure of your facts before you start dissing and attacking someone else s facts aiii.

Easy! If that's what u meant then u sure are right. The LPC enables u to be admitted to Bar 1 even without beeing fully called to the English Bar. On the other hand if you are to pass only the CPE you will not be eligible for entry into the Bar 1 in the first place. In that case I would have thought the LPC has indeed counted towards getting u admitted to the Bar 1! It does nt get u any exemptions in the Law school programmes for sure. I guess we are saying the same thing but from different angles. Don't u agree?

OMGoodness. I think you need to re examine the topic of the thread as you have completely gone off a different tangent. We are talking about Nigeria Law School here not Uk. Nigeria Law School does not recognise LPC, etc. only your LLB counts. I don't even know why I'm bothering cos it's clear you are a little bit confused maybe. I'm gonna gracefully bow out of this becos there s no point arguing or making a point with someone who is on a totally different tangent. You don't have to have LPC to get admitted to Bar1 ...All you need is to have an approved LLB Honours. CPE or no CPE. NLS is very strict and if your certificate does not say LLB they will not touch you with a barge pole. Forget the LPC cos it doesn't count as it is a UK qualification.

"........Nigeria Law School does not recognise LPC, etc. only your LLB counts. I don't even know why I'm bothering cos it's clear you are a little bit confused maybe....... Forget the LPC cos it doesn't count as it is a UK qualification........"

Ohhh really!? Then surely I stand to learn more from you to clear my confusion. Please check with this IBA link : www.ibanet.org/PPD/Constituent/Student_Committe/qualify_lawyer_Nigeria.aspx and help explain what the following extract means. Either I don't get the English or they are flat wrong!
"......Foreign trained graduates, who have obtained their LLB Degrees from universities outside Nigeria, are required to undergo the Bar Part 1 programme which is designed to introduce the general principles of Nigerian Law to the foreign trained students.The Nigerian Law School only admits those holding a law degree from foreign universities approved by the Council of Legal Education. Only foreign universities in common law countries or teaching common law courses are approved by the Council. FURTHERMORE, THE BAR PART 1 PROGRAMME IS OPEN TO STUDENTS WHO PASSED THE ENGLISH BAR FINALS OR THE THE LEGAL PRACTICE COURSE(LPC) IN ENGLAND AND WALES....." (emphasis added)
How very interesting!