With its numbers on social media gradually increasing day by day, I feel compelled to pen down this article on what Law Point Uganda is about and maybe bring every inquisitive person up to speed.
When the pandemic hit (Covid-19) and schools were closed in Uganda including Universities by the presidential directives on Covid-19, this meant that no more studies or for the most reading stopped, and everyone with their fingers crossed waited upon the president of Uganda to open schools so that studying can resume. (In my opinion that was so bad for a 21st Century Lawyer to be)
I was approached by a now a very good friend of mine Salman (he prefers to be called that way) but his real name is Kabuubi Sulaiman. For most who do not know, he is actually a Ugandan Law student studying his legal program from India, Who told me about the need for one to continue learning even when schools are shut of course I was like that’s so right.
For the purposes of this article, I am also a Law Student currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree of law at Uganda Christian University-Mukono Campus. (U.C.U)
Salman further suggested the need for us to create a digital platform where this learning continues after noting with satisfaction that these students were now at home and most being on social media 24/7 since it was a Lock down so there was not so much they could do.
With what he has seen in the Indian Legal Education system, and what he has observed with the Ugandan Legal Education System, He assured me that there is something missing in the Ugandan legal education system and the constant hurdles students face on their path to acquiring societies most enviable profession.
That is how this concept of Law point Uganda was birthed, he shared with me his ideas and the need to be a fast thinker if this Idea was to come to life, I needed no push to get started, for I had open-heartedly embraced his plan in Holy fear (pun intended).
I bought into this idea so quickly that I do not know how I ended up suggesting even more ideas to him. We deeply knew that we needed a team of people if we were to pull off this project. Therefore, we immediately set course hunting for any law student who might buy into this idea of ours.
We clearly knew that we needed a team of people to help execute this idea of ours and this team at least should be law students from all Universities in Uganda, since they were our main target audience.
I started within my scope of friends at UCU pursuing law, talking to each one of them telling them this and that about what Law Point Uganda is about, and to be honest at least most of them bought into this Idea, I also hunted for some at Makerere University of Kampala (MAK) and some bought into the idea and joined us, as for most Law students of the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) whom I knew not, because I had non in my contact list, they had already bought into the idea (for Salman had known some of them whom he talked to).
I had some friends pursuing Law at Kampala International University (KIU), I also talked to them, and some joined. Our goal was simple; we need students from at least all Ugandan Universities pursuing the legal degree. Because like I stated they were our target audience.
We chose not to make it a MAK, KIU, IUIU & UCU Law student’s affair. We wanted to work with all categories of people from universities offering the legal profession in Uganda since this was something that had never happened in Uganda, and if it is already in existence somewhere, then I humbly beg to be guided.
As I pen down this piece of writing, I am proud to say that we were able to achieve the first objective we set out to do. Get Law students from almost every University in Uganda that is accredited to teach Law. And for those we have not reached out to we shall reach there by the end of this year-God willing.
We immediately set opened all the various social media platforms and embarked on the mission which happens to be our slogan, Making the Law Is For Everyone
Our greatest success so far has been on WhatsApp as of now with 3 running WhatsApp groups where these amazing students help out each other, share notes to each other and at least where possible discuss for each other. . .Even though I still think most do not know what this whole Law point Uganda is about. Save for some who know what its about, some think it’s just a show off contest on who knows much Law (which in my opinion is not bad provided someone acquires knowledge and gets clarity of mind on any legal issue perturbing them).
These discussions have had some testify as we earlier posted on our Website that, and I will quote a one AGNES KOMUGISHA from Makerere Law School who says, “I thank Law point Uganda for the beautiful work here. The platform has nurtured me into a better, informed and updated law-scholar. It is my new classroom now. Continue making the law easy”
At least I can confirm that for anybody who has been able to follow our progress up to this point has fully benefited in this yet to explode idea.
Currently with many people, coming up to volunteer and have their articles posted on our platforms and some journalist students we talked to who are happy to help out on the legal news section of our legal News Updates
Not to displeasure anyone who might be reading this article by narrating the history of Law point Uganda, since most people yawn I inclusive on historical lectures about anything. (Because I just want someone to get straight to the point, they are telling me).
The goal for setting up this whole law point Uganda digital platform is the need to have law students become 21st Century thinkers, not just legal thinker but the next generation of lawyers that is up to date with the increasingly growing demands of the legal profession.
And this might benefit not just law students but also Practicing Advocates of even anybody intending to become a lawyer at one point in time in Uganda.
If I may quote Woodrow Wilson America’s 28th U.S. President who is credited for having said that, one should never let a good crisis go to waste.[1] It means that every crisis brings with it the opportunity for a creative response. (It's like that old saw about the Chinese word that means both "crisis" and "opportunity," except that one isn't true.)[2]
In my view, I surely do not think crises are good. Actually, most of us freak out when faced with any kind of crisis. However, here we were Law point Uganda wanting to put up something in the middle of a crisis. And we surely started. Together with Salman and a brilliant Law student from IUIU called Hassan K Mubiru placing daily legal maxims and much more
Followed by the constant legal Alerts we would get from prominent twitter handles of Lawyers such as Counsel Silver Kayondo who routinely posts them on his twitter handle(Thanks to his constant legal Alerts) and various law firms pages and websites whose names I have chosen to withhold for purposes of not biasing this article.
We slowly and progressively set up a website and have almost if not all handles social media handles running with at least a daily post.
As mankind gets more innovative with technologies so must we think in tandem, My brother Cephas (Peter Segawa) whom I have quoted in this article without his permission likes saying, that, “for anybody to survive in this 21st Century one needs to be a fast thinker and they should be quickly adaptable to societies ever changing demands”
Of course it turnout that he borrowed this idea from Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution quoted from his book widely celebrated book The Origin of Species, that states that, “Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”
Not to make make this article a pick and talk article I have chosen to break it down in to series
As we continue to explore what should a 21st Century thinking Person do in order to survive and thrive in this day and digital age.
I hope to catch up with you next time
By
David Waboga (LLB Student UCU)
[1] https://www.oecd.org/agriculture/never-waste-a-good-water-crisis/ As at 9th July 9, 2021. at 10am [2] http://simplemassingpriest.blogspot.com/2013/05/dont-waste-this-crisis.html As at 9th July 9, 2021. at 10am
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This is a good initiative David. Get in touch.