Lawyard Hosts Empowerment Conference at Obafemi Awolowo University November 3
Lawyard will host the maiden edition of its Lawyard Empowerment Conference (LEC) on Monday, 3 November 2025, at the New Moot & Mock Court, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State. Lawyard was founded at the Faculty of Law in OAU by Tobi Adebowale and the late Adavize Alao in September 2015.
The conference, themed “Innovation and the Law: Crafting the Path to Sustainable Transformation,” which integrates the Adavize Alao Symposium on Privacy and Data Protection also commemorates the 10th anniversary of Lawyard’s role in driving legal literacy, promoting thought leadership across the legal landscape and bridging the information gap between lawyers and the general public.
Designed as a strategic gathering for law students, young lawyers, academics, and practitioners shaping the future of legal practice, LEC 1.0 will convene thought leaders to examine how innovation, across technology, policy, and professional development, is reshaping the legal landscape in Africa.
The conference will also feature presentation of prizes to winners of the Adavize Alao Annual Essay Competition on Privacy and Data Protection, held in honour of the late co-founder of Lawyard, whose commitment to digital rights and legal accessibility continues to inspire Lawyard’s mission. Top winners of the essay contest will similarly be making presentations of the key insights from their essays.
LEC 1.0 will open with a keynote address by Professor Konyinsola Ajayi, SAN, titled “Standing Out and Going Global: The Fundamental Truths for the Lawyers of Today and Tomorrow.” Following this, Panel Session I will examine pathways for career advancement in a rapidly evolving legal landscape, with contributions from Chinedum Umeche, Professor Tunji Oyelade, Dr. Tolu Aderemi, Pamela Onah, and Tobenna Erojikwe, and moderated by Folashade Abbey.
Professor May-Anne Very, a strategy professor at IESE Business School, ranked 3rd best global MBA by Financial Times in 2025, will give a talk on “AI as a competitive advantage for service professionals.”
The conference will conclude with Panel Session II, centred on “Reimagining Legal Careers in the Digital-First World,” featuring Adeleke Alex-Adedipe, Dayo Adu, Michael ‘McLively’ Sanni, David Ubon and Fernandez Marcus-Obiene, moderated by Ebiere Amaoru. This session will spotlight the intersection of law, media, policy, and technology.
Participation is open to interested members of the legal and academic community. Attendance confirmation may be completed through the official registration link: https://bit.ly/42PtwPk.
With a projected audience of over 600 physical attendees and 1,500 virtual attendees joining via Lawyard’s social media platforms, LEC 1.0 is positioned to become a defining platform for dialogue on legal innovation and digital transformation in the legal profession.
Lawyard is hosting LEC in partnership with TechHive Advisory, the Nigerian Bar Association Young Lawyers Forum, Law Students Society (OAU), Equity Chambers (OAU), Law Students Association of Nigeria (OAU), and the West African Law Students Association with sponsorship support from Duale, Ovia & Alex-Adedipe, Moroom Africa, Privalex Advisory and The Law Crest LLP.
