CLA News / NextGen Forum: Africa Legal Forum Session 1 Beyond Litigation -Building High Value Legal Practices

What does it take to build a successful legal career in Africa? 🌍⚖️

For more than 80 young lawyers at the Africa Legal Forum in Kigali, the answer was clear: think beyond litigation, understand where the market is heading, and take ownership of your professional future.

At the NextGen Forum, Evelyne Kimani and Penina Ngabire challenged emerging legal talent to look beyond traditional practice and explore how they can build intentional high-value legal services in Africa’s changing markets. Jordan Kamil, the NextGen Chair, invited bar leaders to join the conversation and to reflect on their responsibility to support the next generation.

💡 Look beyond litigation

💡 Be intentional from day one

Building a successful practice starts with knowing where you want to go — and positioning yourself accordingly.

Their advice to young lawyers was practical and powerful:

🔹 Understand the market. Look beyond today’s opportunities.

🔹 Identify emerging areas of demand. Construction contracts, artificial intelligence, intellectual property and energy are just some of the fields where specialist legal expertise can create value.

🔹 Get involved early. Seek exposure, explore different areas of practice, learn how the market works and understand where your skills can make a difference.

🔹 Think in solutions. Clients need innovative lawyers who understand their challenges and deliver practical, commercially valuable advice.

🔹 Build your personal brand. Put yourself forward. Develop your credentials, strengthen your skills, build relationships and get into the rooms where opportunities are created.

🤝 The role of bar associations and international organisations: Reach out, listen and mentor

The Africa Legal Forum is about more than discussing the challenges facing the profession. It is about building connections, sharing expertise and empowering the next generation to shape its future.

With more than 80 young lawyers engaging in these conversations in Kigali, the ambition is clear. The challenge now is to turn that energy into action.

The future of Africa’s legal profession depends on the opportunities we create — and the relationships we build — today.