In the matter of my first year at the Bar

A year ago, I heard my name read out as a member of the Bar in Ghana. Twelve months in the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Circuit Court have since taught me more than the long years of preparation that came before. What follows is what I have learnt, written for myself and for the lawyers who will be called this Friday. What the Rules Do Not Tell You The rules of procedure give a court its skeleton, but the room has a living body. Judges have habits and registries have rhythms. A motion flawless on paper can still lose a day because service never reached the other side. I confirm the cause list the day before and carry spare copies. The lawyers I admire most are rarely the loudest in court. They go about their work diligently and calmly. Moving between the High Court and the Circuit Court almost every other day has shown me they reward different instincts. The High Court wants authority and tidy bundles. The Circuit Court, particularly in family matters, sits closer to the people whose lives are in the balance, and a petitioner in a matrimonial cause wants to know when it will end.