Challenges Faced By The Legal Profession 1n The 21st Century Ln ~Ala Uganda

ABSTRACT 

The study shows that challenges faced by the legal profession in the 21 '' century in kamala Uganda can be attributed to the inadequacy and inefficiency of existing advanced legal norms and enforcement practice. The author paints a brief picture of the state to which legal profession in 21'1 century has an impact on professions. A legal system will be of little benefit or value to people unless they are able to make use of it. Low literacy levels in Uganda and a larger proportion of people living in poverty render the law with the social benefits it brings largely unheard of and under utilized. The legal system, particularly courts can be accessed with the assistance of lawyers or legal practitioners. However, the glaring challenges of few legal practitioners compared to the population and expensive legal services or reluctance of providing legal services to the rural poor makes this impossible. Similarly, the right to legal representation is narrow in scope and is accessed by an accused shortly before trial begins while legal aid is currently not firmly rooted in the framework of justice. The profession is under pressure to accommodate a new economic model one that is premised on lower billable hours for associates and a greater amount of time spent on non-office activities. These changes are being advocated by younger men and women alike who have differing views towards work from those held by the boomers. The rate of change in the practice of law has been unequalled when considering the impact of technology. Although the thought processes of the practice of law have not changed since the days of Socrates, the ways of practising law are as different now as night and day. Since we live in the beginning of the Information Age, it is a given that changes yet to come will make the recent past look like the Stone Age to us. This is necessary to gauge the success of existing strategies and map out the way forward towards legal profession practitioner in the 21" century.