It is with deep pleasure and a strong sense of professional solidarity that I extend my warm greetings to the leadership and distinguished members of the Eastern Bar Forum on the occasion of your First Quarterly Meeting for the year 2026 in Umuahia, Abia State.
The Eastern Bar Forum represents one of the most thoughtful and enduring platforms within our professional community. Beyond its regional identity, the Forum has consistently served as a laboratory of ideas, a meeting point for experience and innovation, and a custodian of the finest traditions of the Nigerian Bar.
Through sustained dialogue, mentorship, and principled engagement, the EBF has helped to shape not only legal opinion but also the professional character of generations of lawyers.
At a defining moment in the evolution of legal practice, when technology, globalisation, regulatory reform, and changing client expectations are reshaping the profession, the importance of reflective and forward-looking institutions such as the Eastern Bar Forum cannot be overstated.
The conversations you convene today are not merely ceremonial; they are strategic. They determine how prepared we are to protect the integrity of the Bar, modernise our methods, and position Nigerian lawyers for relevance in a rapidly transforming legal ecosystem.
As Chairman of the NBA Future of Legal Practice Committee, I am particularly encouraged by the Forum’s commitment to continuous learning, institutional collaboration, and the deliberate nurturing of younger practitioners.
These efforts align directly with our collective responsibility to design a profession that is ethical, technologically responsive, commercially competitive, and socially accountable.
I commend the Governing Council and organising committee for sustaining a culture of serious intellectual engagement and professional fellowship. Your work strengthens the foundations upon which the future of our profession must be built.
I trust that your deliberations will be insightful, your exchanges productive, and your resolutions impactful. May this gathering deepen professional bonds, stimulate innovative thinking, and renew our shared commitment to excellence in service, discipline in conduct, and leadership in justice delivery.
I wish you a successful meeting, a rewarding stay in Umuahia, and safe travels to and from your respective jurisdictions.
With warm professional regards,
Chief Paul Harris Ogbole, SAN
Chairman, NBA Future of Legal Practice Committee
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