Former Attorney General and head of chambers at Dame and Partners, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has admonished newly called lawyers and members of the Law Students Network (LSN) to, as a matter of importance, seek to know and understand law and the practice of it within the first three years instead of chasing money in the early years ahead of them.
Dame pointed out that law practice differs from the study of law, and having completed their classroom work, it is now time to sharpen their practical skills. Those who quickly grasp the practice techniques and processes Dame noted would be those who will solidify their chosen profession and set themselves on the path of success.
He gave the new lawyers this advice on Friday, 7 November 2025, when he addressed attendees of the “2025 Learned Dinner,” at the White Restaurant, next to Soho, Airport, organised by Law Students Network (LSN), the Legal Directorate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and powered by Dame and Partners, a leading law firm in Accra, Ghana.
“As Shakespeare said, we must be adversaries in law, but we must eat and drink as friends. Even when you do cases against each other and your colleague needs help, you must extend the help to him or her.” The object must be to sharpen your legal arsenal and to ensure that at any material time, we remain superior to our opponents.
*Fidelity to the law*
Director of Legal Affairs for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a lawyer in private practice, Gary Nimako Marfo, in his brief remarks to the newly enrolled lawyers, urged them to hold in high esteem their fidelity to the law and not to put politics ahead of it.
He further indicated that the NPP legal directorate is ready to offer them (the new lawyers) all the help they would require as they grow their practice. Mr. Marfo further noted that the NPP, as a party, would rely on the collective knowledge and experience of the new lawyers as the party pursues a political comeback in the 2028 presidential and parliamentary elections.
“You have a lot to learn at the bar. I quite remember that one of my juniors joined about ten years ago. Every time he brought me processes, I kept cancelling them, and I did not tell him why I was cancelling his work.
“It took about seven years for me to say to him why I was always cancelling his work. Now, he has grown, and he is supervising others under him. Do not put money first at this early stage of your practice. Be guided by the ethics of the profession,” Gary Nimako Marfo remarked.
*Available expertise*
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, also a lawyer in private practice and former minister for works and housing in the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration, who graced the occasion, pointed out to the new lawyers that they have available to them a rich experience and an elite group of lawyers who have built prominent practices to learn from to develop their own practice.
He urged the budding lawyers to they advantage of the wealth of experience he has gained in his 9 years of practice, which has immensely paid off for him. He added that the new lawyers are in good company and if they avail themselves of the same, they will be amazed at what they will be able to achieve.
“There was a particular matter we were handling recently, and I was unsure of the approach to use, so I consulted with a senior and explained my plan to him. He said no, and he suggested the approach I should use. Something that a few seniors had attempted in the past and did not work, when we used the proposed approach, it just worked to perfection,” Oppong Nkrumah said.
*Love the law*
Kow Essuman, counsel to former President Akufo-Addo, who also graced the occasion, recounted his experience of being called to the bar after studying law in the UK and other countries. He said he had an endless love for the law and had discovered that the “thing about the law is that the more you do, the more you get better at it.”
“We live in a developing country, which means that our legal systems, our democracy, the rule of law, and everything we are doing are actually setting a path for the future. Don’t say that you don’t have a path. Be very aware of what you are doing and be mindful of the fact that we are a developing country,” Mr Essuman posited.
*About LSN*
The LSN is an organization for law students of Ghana interested in policy development, research, and community development.
The Network’s aims and objectives include providing a platform for law students to undertake research and engage in discussions on legal, policy, and emerging issues related to social, political, and economic sectors in Ghana.
Foster a community of learning and intellectual exchange among law students interested in policy and socio-economic development; promote awareness and understanding of legal and policy matters within the broader community.
Contribute to national development through research, policy advice, and advocacy; demand accountability from the national government, student leadership, and management of the legal education across the country, and promote excellence in academic work and students’ leadership.
