Attending the funeral of a High Court Judge’s mother should be an opportunity for reflection, condolence, and solidarity. Instead, what I witnessed yesterday Saturday 22 February 2025 at Umuahia during the funeral of the mother of one of the judges of Imo State High Court was a scene that left every right-thinking lawyer both embarrassed and deeply concerned about the erosion of professional dignity among lawyers.
The sight of learned colleagues — men and women who have sworn to uphold the highest standards of decorum — jostling, dragging, and scrambling for funeral souvenirs was nothing short of disgraceful.
The legal profession is built on the pillars of discipline, decorum, and respect. Our standing in society is not just about legal knowledge and advocacy skills; it is also about how we carry ourselves in public. The toga of a lawyer should exude honor, not desperation over material tokens at solemn gatherings. Yet, such incidents are becoming all too common, and if we are to maintain the respect society accords us, we must address them with urgency.
A funeral is a solemn event. It is a time to console the bereaved, not an occasion for a tug-of-war over branded souvenirs. What message does it send when lawyers reduce themselves to a spectacle of disorder? Imagine a grieving family witnessing supposed “learned men,” who are expected to be role models of composure, pushing and shoving over mere souvenirs. This is a shameful contradiction to the dignity we are supposed to uphold.
I witnessed lawyers, surprisingly not the young ones, jostling and fighting for souvenirs at the funeral yesterday. Some tore the bags while dragging them from either the hands of the person distributing them, or from the hand of another colleague who had collected them. I learnt one of them lost a phone in the process – Good riddance to bad rubbish!
This behavior is not isolated to funeral souvenirs alone. There have been disturbing reports of lawyers engaging in undignified conduct at social gatherings — jostling for food, shoving in queues to be served first, hoarding food and drinks, fighting over drinks, and even packing meals and drinks to take home from events, when some have not been served. Some of these drinks are ordinarily oftentimes not their brands. It is unfathomable that individuals who argue cases with eloquence in the courtroom can lose all restraint when free food and free things are in sight.
This also happens at Bar meetings of several branches, including mine – a gathering of lawyers.
There is this sudden letting down of professional guard at the sight of free food and free things; temperance gives way to degrading avarice and disgraceful gluttony. A man who barely affords 2 bottles of Beer in a week out of Nigeria-induced frugality leaves a social gathering with half a crate in his bulging stomach.
Sometimes, brandy can be taken after 2 bottles of red wine, 3 bottles of Beer and 2 bottles of big stout have been gulped. Then several cups of palm wine, because it has just been sighted. Finally this chaotic blend and liquid confusion will be couriered home with a cup of cold chapman.
To the utter disregard of medical advice, it is good enough for some to take any brand of alcohol, and any type of meal strictly because they have been offered free at social functions.
“Madam, give me fou-fou, mix uha soup with onugbu soup. Then give me three pieces of meat from stew.” No one cooks two different types of soup at home and finishes them at the same time. But it is good to do it at social function because it is free.
While the souvenir, food and drink scuffle may seem like a trivial issue to some, it points to a deeper problem: a decline in the standards of professional conduct. If lawyers cannot display self-respect at public gatherings, how can we expect the public to respect the profession?
Lawyers are often referred to as “learned gentlemen,” but there is nothing learned about engaging in food fights or treating social functions as an opportunity for personal gain. Our profession demands a certain level of decorum, whether in court, at a professional event, or even in casual social settings.
If lawyers do not self-regulate their public behavior, we risk damaging the reputation of the entire profession. Bar Branches must take this issue seriously. Ethics training should not be limited to legal practice but should extend to personal conduct in the society. Senior lawyers should lead by example, mentoring younger ones on proper professional etiquette beyond the courtroom.
Most importantly, individual lawyers must take responsibility for their actions. We must remember that every public act reflects not just on us as individuals but on the entire legal fraternity. The respect we command in society is not automatic—it is earned through continuous display of professionalism, respect, and dignity in all settings.
The legal profession has long been regarded as noble, but nobility is not in words alone—it is reflected in actions. If we wish to maintain the respect society accords us, we must act accordingly. Scrambling for souvenirs, gluttony at social functions, hoarding food, and engaging in unbecoming conduct at social functions do nothing but diminish the prestige of our profession.
Lawyers must remember that dignity is priceless, and no souvenir or plate of food is worth the cost of professional embarrassment. It is time to restore and uphold the honor of the legal profession—both in and out of the courtroom.
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