LEGAL EDUCATION BEYOND COURTROOM ADVOCACY: A TRANSFORMATION FOR GENDER JUSTICE, RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

Abstract

The 21st century legal landscape witnesses an increasing demand for lawyers in non-adversarial settings, which underscores the need for an inclusive legal education rather than a narrow, litigation-centred model. This article examines the development of the law school instructional framework to question the traditional and often misconceived notion that Nigerian legal education is designed solely for courtroom advocacy. The paper adopts a doctrinal research approach, drawing from content analysis of primary and secondary sources to establish how the instructional framework, law school culture, institutional restrictions, and professional practice impact gender, diversity, and social inclusion. The aim of this paper is to call for a repositioning of legal education beyond courtroom advocacy with consideration for gender equity, religious diversity, and social inclusion. Its objectives are: (1) to examine the concepts of gender equity, religious diversity, and inclusion as essential paradigms for a transformative legal education curriculum; and (2) to examine the roles of law faculties in developing a pedagogy that promotes diversity, inclusion, and the addressing of systemic inequalities. The paper finds that evolving social, cultural, and professional realities call for a responsive legal education that adequately reflects and addresses these realities.