Lagos, Nigeria – At the ongoing 2025 Annual Law Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch, Professor Foluke Dada-Lawanson, Chair of the Lawyers in Academia Forum and former 2nd Vice President of the NBA (2018–2020), delivered a compelling message centered on the urgent need to restore public trust in the legal profession.
Speaking during a high-level panel session, Prof. Dada-Lawanson emphasized that trust is the bedrock of legal practice — yet it has been deeply eroded in many quarters of society.
In her words, this erosion is not always the product of intentional wrongdoing, but often the consequence of silence, systemic complacency, and a growing disconnect between legal ideals and lived realities.
“We cannot demand trust — we must earn it,” she asserted, calling for ethical leadership, transparent processes, and a justice system grounded not only in law but also in equity and empathy.
According to the distinguished academic, restoring faith in legal institutions begins with how lawyers conduct themselves — in advocacy, in counsel, and in leadership. She challenged legal professionals to go beyond defending the law, and to instead “dignify it” through deliberate acts of service, accountability, and integrity.
Prof. Dada-Lawanson commended the leadership of NBA Lagos Branch for curating a conference that does not shy away from difficult conversations. “This platform reflects a profession willing to evolve — one that recognizes that the true power of the law lies in its ability to listen, to serve, and to uplift,” she remarked.
Her contribution added a resonant voice to a broader conference theme that explores innovation, ethics, and the evolving role of lawyers in shaping a just society.
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