The Council of Legal Education (CLE), operators of the Nigerian Law School (NLS), has ordered students to adhere to the prescribed mode of dressing for court and law firm attachments.
It warned that defaulters would be sanctioned, and may be required to repeat their three-month externship programme, if found guilty of violating the dress code.
The CLE gave the warning through a statement by a Senior Lecturer at NLS, Lagos Campus and Externship Coordinator, Southwest, Mr. Ugochukwu Charles Kanu.
According to the statement, the approved mode of dressing for NLS students on externship for males is black suit, white shirt and black tie, black shoes, black socks and black belt.
For females, it is black skirt, black jacket, white shirt, and black shoes.
The CLE’s statement followed recent disquiet among lawyers and judicial officers about the poor dress standards of many law students in the region.
In response to the concerns, the CLE issued a March 29, 2022 memorandum, seen by The Nation, titled: “Improper Dressing By Students of the Nigerian Law School.”
The council said it had been embarrassed by the reports.
It said: “Recall that on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, during the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus Externship Induction Exercise, students were expressly briefed on the acceptable mode of dressing to the court and law firms, respectively. Other Nigerian Law School campuses also had the same briefing.
“Irrespective of the above effort, we have been besieged with an embarrassing and shameful report from judges and practitioners of Law students’ improper dressing and conducts unbecoming of aspirants to the Bar.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the acceptable mode of dressing for Nigerian Law School students on externship remains, for males: Black suit (not waistcoat), white shirt and black tie, black shoe, black socks and black belt. For females: Black skirt and black jacket, white shirt, and black shoes.
“Please, see Rule 5, Paragraphs 1 (a) & (b) on pages 2-3 of the Code of Conduct for students of Nigerian Law School.
“Take notice that from today, March 29, 2022, any Nigerian Law School student who does not appear on the above regulation attire as contained in paragraph three above and/or the Code of Conduct will be issued a query and made to face disciplinary action which may extend to repeating the entire externship. We have empowered practitioners and Nigerian Bar Association’s various branches to report any erring student to us.”
