The legal field has many career paths that you can pursue and research is one of them. However, for most people, research and academia barely come to mind when considering career paths.

Perhaps most people envision a career environment that involves dynamic, high-stakes environments with direct client interactions, courtroom appearances, and real-time problem-solving. You are most likely to experience this as a lawyerpracticing law in firms, corporate legal departments, or public service.

In contrast, research focuses more on academia and publishing, which may be less appealing to those who prefer the practical aspects of law. So, is the bridge between the Courthouse and Law School that wide?

Today we feature Nelson Otieno Okeyo,  an Advocate of the High Court who has been fortunate to explore legal practice in Kenya and the Academy of Law in Germany. Nelson is a doctoral researcher at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, a Research University in Germany, and a Research Assistant at the University of Bayreuth, also in Germany.

Mr. Otieno is passionate about practice and research interests in data protection law, data justice, and business and human rights. Learn from his experience juggling legal practice and the academy of law, as he explores what it takes to thrive in the research space. 

Is There a Dichotomy Between Practice and the Academy of Law?

“When something in the legal space seemingly holds little or no promise in their practice cycle, most lawyers tend to brand it as ‘an academic exercise’. Consequently, I think for some time there has been a dichotomy between practice and the academy of law, with those in the academy seeming like they contribute little to the profession.”   

Nelson, the data protection team lead at Nyamu Muthama & Kashindi Advocates, points out that he also came up in the profession with a similar attitude toward academia. However, his attitude changed after he explored and discovered the importance of academia first-hand. 

“I settled on data protection as a practice area after experimenting with different practice areas because data protection does not exist in isolation.” Just as no area of law exists in total isolation, Nelson also established that the academy of law is not completely isolated from the practice of law. Therefore, he has the four pieces of advice below for any young lawyer/ legal professional interested in pursuing academia and research.

4 Factors Every Young Lawyer Interested in Pursuing Legal Research as a Career Path Should Consider

1. Sharpen your focus to a particular area of interest.

According to Nelson, we live in a world where there’s information everywhere, which increases the risk of suffering information overload regarding “what is relevant for my research?” He highlights that he has researched various areas of the law and admits that maintaining a focus on one or two areas of law when people are speaking about every other thing and it all appears to be relevant is challenging. ”The ability to trim one’s focus and say, ‘I want to research on this particular area, move with it, and develop thought leadership is crucial.”

1. Create Links with those who have walked a similar path

Nelson emphasizes the importance of having someone who has done research in your focus area guide you. “If I want to conduct research in international law, do I know one or two people who are thought leaders in international law?”

Creating such links often requires networking. So, what happens if you can’t seem to find the right people within your circle/ network? “This contact does not have to mean knowing them in person and sitting with them, if the only thought leaders you can find are inaccessible physically, you can interact with their work, see what they’re writing and what they’re saying.”

However, he adds that he cannot downplay the importance of one-on-one interactions with thought leaders because such interactions have shaped his career in immeasurable ways. For instance, interacting with some thought leaders in data protection law has earned him unique opportunities to contribute to some of the materials they were working on and be published alongside them. “Interacting and working alongside thought leaders has been inspiring. Knowing what they’re doing motivates me and gives me hope that I’ve taken the right course.”

1. Leverage practice alongside your research

As highlighted above, although there seems to be a dichotomy between practice and academia, Nelson is among the advocates who leverage both worlds for the betterment of the profession.

“When you do academia alone, the research and output, there is this gap that tends to arise whereby you don’t see the end of what you’re doing.” While it may not always be easy to come by, Nelson encourages anyone who is coming up in academia to leverage opportunities in practice and research. 

“When I do research projects while simultaneously training, advising, and litigating on the same subject matters I’m researching, my thought processes are broadened and I’m also able to have a very clear idea of what the law says, the challenges on the ground, and other crucial perspectives.” He concludes that merging both worlds is very enriching for the entire research process.

1. Knock on as many doors as possible.

Knock on as many doors as possible; some stay shut, but some will open. You may have gone through a draining application process for a fellowship or some other opportunity, and things feel tough, don’t give up, stay the course. “Once that right opportunity opens up at the right time, it is inevitable that your passion for research will bloom.”