By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
The Lagos State Law Reform Commission (Lagos State Law Reform Commission) has urged young lawyers to embrace a new direction in legal practice focused on critical thinking, innovation, and public service, saying the future will no longer be defined by legal knowledge alone.
The engagement, organised as part of an annual mentorship initiative hosted by Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos High Court, brought together externs, legal practitioners, and officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mrs. Oluyemisi Ogunlola, made the know on Tuesday during a meeting with Nigerian Law School externs under the Lagos High Court, Ikeja saying court externship should not be limited to just observation, but used as a platform for better understanding on how legal systems operate and how they can be improved.
“Externship is not merely about observing proceedings. It is about understanding how laws, procedures and institutions affect real people and asking how justice can be made more effective, accessible and responsive,” she said urging the externs to develop a reform mindset by identifying recurring challenges in the justice system, including delays in court processes, procedural bottlenecks, and access to justice gaps.
According to her, such observations are essential in shaping future reforms capable of strengthening justice delivery and governance structures.
She further explained that law reform remains a key driver of institutional development, noting that laws must constantly evolve to reflect changing social, economic, and technological realities disclosing that the Commission operates through continuous research, review of existing laws, stakeholder engagement, and policy driven interventions aimed at improving legal frameworks in the state.
She also introduced the Commission’s Reform Intelligence Desk (RID), designed to capture reform ideas and practical observations from courts, legal practitioners, government institutions, and members of the public for possible legislative action.
“Many reforms begin when someone observes a recurring problem closely enough to ask whether the law, procedure or institution can work better,” she noted adding that experiences from externship programmes could serve as valuable input into ongoing efforts to modernise and strengthen Lagos State laws.
She also outlined ongoing initiatives of the Commission, including a state wide law audit programme, codification of laws, digitisation of legal texts, translation of laws into Yoruba, and expanded stakeholder engagement.
Speaking on the future of the legal profession, she warned that lawyers must now prepare for a rapidly evolving landscape shaped by technology, governance reforms, and policy complexity.