Law graduates aspire to work for a reputable firm and receive a generous pay package, yet statistics reveal that most lawyers in Nigeria receive only marginal salaries.
Factors to be considered include the size and specialty area of a law firm as well as legal market factors. Furthermore, salary increments differ between individuals.
Senior Associates
Lawyer salaries in Nigeria depend on experience and size of firm. A Senior Associate with over two years’ experience can expect to make approximately 7,580,000 NGN monthly. Lawyers with five to ten years of experience may make up to 9,586,800 NGN per month.
Barristers are specialist lawyers who represent individuals and organisations in court. These ‘barristers’ may be hired through solicitors or directly by members of the public, who then can seek their advice on legality of cases, select jurors for jury service, and file motions on their behalf in court.
But legal practitioners often struggle to secure employment because the market is so highly competitive. Some of the country’s premier law firms provide top legal talent with premium salaries; however, this can place undue strain on financial health of a practice as higher salaries reduce efficiency while increasing costs and costs associated with maintaining legal practices. Therefore, regulating salaries of lawyers should be carefully considered.
Junior Associates
Experienced lawyers can expect to earn higher than the average lawyer salary in Nigeria due to the additional responsibilities placed upon them by firms they work for and the increased appreciation of their expertise in various areas of law.
As opposed to doctors who undergo two years of housemanship training before entering practice, lawyers enter their profession directly from school with only academic credentials and learn their craft from senior partners – something many young lawyers opt out of after gaining some experience and start their own law firm.
Legal professionals certainly earn well, yet it is important to remember that their salaries depend on the quality of work they produce. Therefore, earning a postgraduate law degree can increase both income and career prospects while simultaneously opening doors to international law firms.
Interns
Law is considered one of the most esteemed careers in Nigeria. It requires hard work and commitment from its practitioners; yet its rewards can be very satisfying indeed. Salaries vary significantly based on experience and skills of lawyers.
Top firms typically offer various benefits and perks to attract top talent, including professional development opportunities, health and wellness programs, generous leave policies and profit sharing plans. Some even allow employees to reap a share of profits earned.
Gender can also play a significant role in attorney salaries; male attorneys generally receive higher pay than their female counterparts for performing similar work – earning 22% more on average. This disparity has begun to narrow as more females enter law as practitioners.
Junior Lawyers
Legal profession in Nigeria is highly esteemed and financially rewarding, inspiring many students to aspire towards becoming lawyers. While tuition at an elite law school may be costly, the pay-off once becoming a lawyer will make your investment worth your while.
However, some young Nigerians may be put off from becoming lawyers due to rumors that lawyers earn low salaries. Such claims are untrue.
Annual salary increments differ for everyone and depend on both firm performance and individual lawyer contributions, size of law firm and area of practice as factors affecting salaries.
Problematic law firms seek to maximize profits while not paying junior lawyers enough. This creates a vicious cycle which must be broken. Young lawyers can only hope of doing this if they work smart and hard towards building themselves, by getting corporate briefs while remaining self sufficient.
