{"id":15243,"date":"2025-07-24T07:13:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T07:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/?p=15243"},"modified":"2025-07-24T07:14:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T07:14:21","slug":"bridging-legal-borders-a-conversation-with-barrister-asukwo-mendie-archibong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/24\/bridging-legal-borders-a-conversation-with-barrister-asukwo-mendie-archibong\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridging Legal Borders: A Conversation with Barrister Asukwo Mendie Archibong"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a recent episode of the Wednesday Center Point AM Show on AKBC Radio and TV, guest speaker Barrister Asukwo Mendie Archibong shared his valuable insights on bridging legal borders. With extensive experience as a lawyer in both the United States and Nigeria, Barrister Archibong offered a unique perspective on the distinctions between legal practice in the two countries.

He began by emphasizing the significance of making meaningful contributions in one\u2019s homeland. \u201cThere is no greater achievement than the one you have back home, in your own country or hometown, where people who knew you and saw how you started can celebrate with you,\u201d he stated. According to him, such achievements serve as inspiration for both the young and the old.

Discussing his professional journey, Barrister Archibong highlighted the differences between the legal systems in the US and Nigeria. \u201cIf you’re a lawyer going to the United States, you need to be in a state that allows a person to qualify as a lawyer without going through the law school process, unlike in Nigeria,\u201d he explained. He cited New York as an example, where candidates must take and pass the bar exam, undergo a moral character background check, and\u2014if successful\u2014are called to the bar. This process typically takes six months to a year.

In contrast, his Nigerian legal journey began with his application to the Nigerian Law School in August 2022. He was admitted in January 2023 and completed Bar Part I. After receiving his results around November\/December 2023, he began Bar Part II in January 2024, completed the final examinations by January 2025, and was called to the bar on 9th July, 2025. Comparing both paths, he remarked that the Nigerian route took approximately three years and was considerably more rigorous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Barrister Asukwo Archibong, a Solicitor & Advocate of the Supreme Court<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Barrister Archibong credited his decision to study law to his family background. \u201cMy father was in the legal profession as a judge, and both my brother and sister are also lawyers, so it was only natural for me to follow that path,\u201d he said.

When asked about flourishing areas of legal practice in Nigeria, he observed that general practice remains common, but criminal law appears to be seeing notable development.

On the topic of immigration law, he contrasted the US and Nigerian systems. \u201cThe US has stricter immigration laws and harsher penalties for non-compliance,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have the legal right to reside, you stand no chance of being employed. And if a company hires you unlawfully, they face serious penalties from the government.\u201d

Reflecting on his transition from a US attorney to a Nigerian attorney, Barrister Archibong shared that he was driven by a desire to contribute to his country’s development. \u201cI always asked myself what I could do to help my country, and becoming a lawyer here was one of the ways I could give back,\u201d he said.

He also addressed challenges facing the Nigerian legal system, such as the absence of audio recordings in court and the need for digital reform. \u201cThere should be audio systems that record everything said in court, along with transcribers who provide written records of proceedings,\u201d he recommended.

Regarding legal networking and promotion, Barrister Archibong noted, \u201cLawyers are not permitted to advertise themselves. The only acceptable way to market one\u2019s services is by opening a law firm, putting up a public notice, or handing out business cards.\u201d

He also touched on ethical considerations, emphasizing transparency in legal fees and clear communication with clients. \u201cMoney is a significant ethical concern. Just as healthcare is critical to doctors, finances are a major issue for lawyers\u2014who must also be fairly compensated for their services,\u201d he explained, adding that a lawyer must never touch a client\u2019s money unless it is earned income.

In conclusion, Barrister Archibong encouraged students and aspiring lawyers to be diligent in their studies. He advised those wishing to practice law internationally to consider obtaining an additional degree in a different field. \u201cHaving another degree in a different discipline can give you a well-rounded understanding of the law. Best wishes to you,\u201d he said warmly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a recent episode of the Wednesday Center Point AM Show on AKBC Radio and TV, guest speaker Barrister Asukwo Mendie Archibong shared his valuable insights on bridging legal borders. With extensive experience as a lawyer in both the United States and Nigeria, Barrister Archibong offered a unique perspective on the distinctions between legal practice […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":15241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-naija-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image_editor_output_image-964334922-1753341064408.jpg?fit=959%2C468&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15243"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15244,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15243\/revisions\/15244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}