A Recap Of Kenya’s Premiere Law Career Fair

“If Argwings Kodhek, the first Kenyan lawyer of African descent, woke up today and sat in this room, what would he say, and how would he feel? Nobody went ahead of him; he was the first.  He’d say, “Look at you! You’re so fortunate to get to sit in a room full of people who went ahead of you and are willing and ready to lend you a hand on your journey!” But most importantly, he’d be very proud of you for seeing this opportunity, seizing it, and charting your own path.”

Those profound words by The LawDown’s founder, Dissi Obanda, marked the beginning of Kenya’s first-ever law fair. The inaugural event was held at the Kenya School of Law, Karen, on the 31st of August 2024.

Mr Beauttah Siganga, SC, the Fair Chair, officially declared the inaugural Kenya Law Career Fair open at around 10:00 a.m. The attendees also received informative insights from Hon. Sharon Mwayuli, the Principal Magistrate representing the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary of Kenya, before settling down for the first panel. It was a wonderful day of learning and networking.

According to Dissi Obanda, we are all becoming the best versions of ourselves. There is always something new to learn about whether you are starting out, contemplating a career in law and regardless of the number of years you might have spent already practicing law. This rationale informed our theme for the career fair, #BecomingWakili.

So, at the end of the day, the question everyone should reflect on was, “What are you becoming?” A tax lawyer, perhaps? Or an ESG lawyer, maybe even an entertainment lawyer? The answer lies with you. Also, #BecomingWakili is a continuing theme because the question of becoming is one we must ponder every day with every opportunity that comes our way and every career move we make. 

Contrary to the dignified/conservative nature of most legal events, the atmosphere at the Kenya Law Career Fair was relaxed from beginning to end. Being a Saturday, most attendees, panelists, and master class instructors chose to dress down, which helped create a more interactive space ideal for vertical and lateral networking. The well-thought-out artworks, some inscribed with legal humor, also served as conversation starters.

The Why Behind Kenya’s First Law Career Fair

As highlighted earlier, Argwings Kodhek was traveling unchartered territory, unlike most of us today. For starters, Hon. Lady Justice Patricia Nyaundi, while speaking on the International Day of Women Judges, highlighted that the common thread in her career was a big sister who was always ready to hold her hand. Mohamud Salim Omar, Association of Muslim Lawyers Association Chairperson, also attributes the strides he has made in the field (including starting and running a law firm with multiple branches at just five years of post-admission practice) to mentorship by his uncle, who is also a lawyer. Therefore, mentorship guides a lawyer to achieve more professionally.

Second, the legal profession has evolved significantly since Argwings Kodhek’s time, creating new practice areas. As Noreen Kidunduhu puts it, every facet of life has a legal aspect (you can listen to her perspective on the diversity of the legal profession in episode 5 of Winning at Law here). However, although we live in the information era, information, particularly about emerging practices, remains largely inaccessible, even on the Internet of Things (IoT). 

Consequently, many lawyers and young advocates still have to grope in the dark to find their place in the profession. Most advocates will tell you that they settled on their current practice area because it’s what they did during pupillage; they didn’t know better.

The LawDown Africa has had the privilege of interacting with many exceptional legal minds in Kenya. While the guests gracing our platforms have varied years of practice and specialize in different areas, they all agree on one thing: law is a foundational course that primarily teaches where to find the law.

Essentially, possibilities are limitless once you acquire that legal qualification as a lawyer or an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. More so, evolving industries, socioeconomic changes, and shifting work dynamics all present opportunities and risks that require legal minds.

However, while many legal professionals are working in untapped practice areas, the diversity of the legal profession remains the preserve of those privy to the unique practice areas. That is where we come in.

Therefore, The LawDown’s Kenya Law Career Fair is that “big sister” or “uncle” for the young lawyer who has yet to experience the privilege of having a mentor or a network that could expand their horizons. The fair was all about filling the information gap by giving young legal minds (LLB students, KSL students, paralegals, young lawyers recently admitted to the bar) access to industry stakeholders, including heads of departments, partners at top law firms, consultants, CEOs, and legal entrepreneurs. 

While our platforms (our blog and the Winning at Law Podcast) spotlight the best legal minds across different practice areas, the Career Fair offered a curated experience whereby you could ask these industry captains questions that meet your specific needs. 

Rather than sitting at a corner, looking at that partner or associate you admire and thinking, “It must be nice to be you,” our attendees got that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ask, “What is it like being you? What do you do on a daily basis? This is where I’m at in my legal journey. How can I get to where you are? Can you be my mentor?” 

Our attendees received all these and a chance to receive mentorship and insider information on internship programs and other opportunities directly from potential employers at the affordable price of KES 1000.00. Testimonials from our attendees suggest they got more than the full value for their money. Indeed, your most valuable professional asset is yourself. Therefore, investing in opportunities that increase your knowledge or trigger a mindset shift, such as this career fair, always pays off in the long run.

Shoutout to Our Panelists, Partners, and Facilitators

In addition to our attendees, our panelists and master class instructors were the final puzzle pieces that made this inaugural event a resounding success. We hosted three elite panels covering the diversity of the legal profession, opportunities in the arts and entertainment space, and the lawyer’s place in political and local change.

Our elite panelists included:

• Pat Mbugua of StanChart and former Partner at Walker Kontos 
• Mrs. Rispah Simiyu, Commissioner for Domestic Taxes at KRA
• Ayieta Lumbasyo, Founder, Fertility Law Clinic,
• Timothy Owase, CEO of Kenya Film Commission. Mr Owase went to law school  in 2019 despite having a master’s in Communication (A young lawyer with 20+ years of experience in storytelling, marketing, and communication)
• Dr. Maurice Ajwang’, Dean Faculty of Law Daystar University (Dr. Ajwang’ also facilitated a masterclass in sports law)
• Mary Njeri Wanjiru of UN Women Kenyan Chapter (Hit her up if you love the law but are not that into suits -the outfit, not the show)
• Liz Lenjo Chairperson, Copyright Tribunal (who almost missed her flight just to show up for the future of law)
• Jimmy Mnene, General Counsel at WPP Scangroup, among other things (including Manager for Kenya’s Rugby 15s team.
• ‘Tosh’ Gitonga, the super African producer behind the award-winning feature film Nairobi Half-Life
• James WaNjeri, A Voice of justice, a radio host, and  a content creator (Check out his YouTube channel)
• And Catherine Mbui of Article 19

We also couldn’t have done this without our partners: MMC ASAFO (learn more about managing an International Law Firm from MMC ASAFO’s Managing Partner, Esther Omulele, OGW here  ), Mohammed Muigai LLP, and IKM Advocates. They saw value and sponsored us financially and hosted masterclasses on Property and Real Estate practice, Legal Practice in Capital Markets, and Tax Law Practice, respectively.

Also, a shoutout to all the law firms and departments that facilitated masterclasses, including the Judiciary, the KRA Department of Legal Services and Board Coordination, TripleOKlaw, Oraro & Company Advocates, Anjarwalla & Khanna, The Office of the Attorney General: Department of Public International Law, the Directorate of Public Prosecution (Hey CarolineNyambura), and FK Cheluget Company and Advocates. Mr Cheluget ensured that every attendee who needed his attention got it. More grace to you, sir.

Last but not least, Senior Counsel Beauttah Siganga, a man with an innate passion for mentorship. Fun fact: our founder, Dissi Obanda, is one of his mentees, and her personal experience as a mentee is part of the inspiration for this inaugural career fair.  Mr Siganga has been working with our team in the background for months, giving direction and utilizing his networks to ensure this day was a success. Also, it’s not every day that a young lawyer gets to sit beside a Senior Counsel in a masterclass, and both of them are learning. Indeed, the Kenya Law Career Fair had many firsts, and everything spoke to our overarching theme, #BecomingWakili.

Besides being a significant part of the organizing committee, Mr. Siganga also delivered a resounding masterclass on Ethics and the Modern lawyer. If you missed the class, you can catch his insights on what makes a good lawyer from a previous interview with the Winning at Law Podcast here.

Key Takeaways: #BecomingWakili

The legal landscape is constantly changing. So, regardless of whether you’ve been in the profession for decades, a year, or are still in school, there’s something to learn. Since the legal profession is a journey of becoming, it’s never too late to venture into a new practice area. 

Our law career fair’s primary goal was to point you toward where the work is. The information and experts are to help you identify the new areas of law where you can consider practicing. At The LawDown Africa, we strive to ensure that no young legal mind in the continent is limited in a limitless space.

Thank you for attending our inaugural law career fair. If you missed the fair, keep watching our social media pages as we prepare to launch the first edition of our post-law career fair magazine. We hope to make the next law career fair bigger and better, and we trust that we’ll see you there.