We need to have a serious conversation about the treatment of law students on clerkship.
It is disgraceful that trainees can be expected to work, learn, produce and endure long hours yet asking for basic welfare support is somehow treated as being “unfavourable” or an “unbudgeted expense.”
The times have changed. Clerkship is training not exploitation.
Some students struggle financially just to get to these firms. They deserve a conducive environment in which to learn and become competent advocates not environments where their basic welfare is dismissed while their labour and productivity are readily demanded.
And spare us the polished English, motivational X, LinkedIn posts and grand speeches about “mentorship” and “developing the next generation” if the same generation is being treated without basic humanity.
Perhaps it is time Uganda seriously considered a legal framework specifically protecting the welfare, rights and minimum standards applicable to trainees and interns.
Enough of these manipulative practices. Enough romanticising exploitation as “character building.” Enough expecting students to give everything while firms refuse the bare minimum.
Say No to Exploitation. Say No to the culture of glorifying overwork. And damn any system that demands professional excellence from young people while denying them basic dignity.
The next generation of lawyers deserves better. And we should be brave enough to say so.
Most of you will not want to hear it but it is the truth. Do not compare these young lawyers to your days. Your transport was 1000 or 500, a boda would take you at 2000, rent probably was 200,000, you would get food at 2000, you have one LDC in Kampala. So understand that young lawyer paying now 2.6m as tution in Lira, Mbarara. He has to pay for acvomodation in a place of clerkship, foot transport of 10k every day, walk miles to get cheap food of 5k or 10k. Just be human. Stop this nosense of sijui professionalism.
I didn’t know that family had a way of making us not sleep when their father said “Kisanja No Sleep “ we are now up willingly
Because we want to watch one of them go down.
Was in court premises today and a lady judge was walking past us in the corridor, a young lawyer who I think didn't know her asked her,"Ms, how are you doing today, you are looking gumite".
Meanwhile I was all humbling myself on the side 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
COUNSEL:Your honor I appear for the Plaintiff & he is present in court
MAGISTRATE:Where is the defendant?
COUNSEL:Yorona,the defendant & his counsel are absent,we pray for costs of the day for wasting our fuel.
MAGISTRATE: Costs for what really when you even don't own vehicle?
A lawyer is not supposed to be paid like a chicken feeds seller, all fees to pay a lawyer are stipulated in the Advocates (Remuneration & Taxation of Costs) Regulations.
Once your lawyer starts charging you without referring to the law, be sure that you are not the right client.
Jeremiah 29:11: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. '