It was glitz and glamour spewing elegance as law students gathered yesterday at Protea Hotel-Entebbe for their 19th Annual Lawyer’s Dinner.
The event, which commenced at 7 pm, drew nearly 100 law students and guests, including the Uganda Law Society President, Counsel Bernard Oundo, legal luminaries, administrators from law school, and lecturers led by Dean Witness Nabalende.
The keynote address was delivered by Counsel Bernard Oundo, the former East African Law Society president currently serving as the Uganda Law Society president.
In his speech, Counsel Oundo encouraged aspiring lawyers to explore emerging legal domains such as oil and gas, construction, project finance, energy law, and artificial intelligence, emphasizing the importance of specialization and hard work in the legal profession. “Consider finding relevance by specializing in new legal fields like oil and gas, construction, project finance, energy law, and AI.” Said Counsel Benard Oundo.
Oundo further asserted that “there is no shortcut to hard work, the more experience you gain, the better you become.”
The dinner also marked the end of President Gideon Mwanje’s tenure at the Nkumba University Law Society. Reflecting on his term, President Mwanje expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve, highlighting achievements such as securing a total of 35 scholarships for fellow law students.
“As many of you know, this evening marks the end of my term as your president. It’s a role I approached with a heart full of ambition and a mind brimming with ideas. Looking back, a whirlwind of emotions washes over me.”
“We commenced our tenure by giving out 10 scholarships, and just this semester, we were able to lobby for 25 50% scholarships for our colleagues.” Added Mwagye.
Professor Jude commended President Mwanje for his dedicated service and challenged the incoming president to further strengthen alumni engagement and institutional development.
“When Gideon wrote asking for a 50% scholarship to benefit law students, I offered him the scholarships and indeed he brought 25 students, the highest ever brought by a student, what a leader.”
“I now task the incoming president to mobilize and bring back all Law School Alumni to build our institution. I have a dream, and in this dream, I want to see a “P. Kakooza” building, I want to see this building harbor an auditorium named after Prof. Bwengye, I want to see classes named after these great men and women, who have nurtured you, counsel Kirumira, Counsel Baku, Dr. Susan and more.
Drawing inspiration from the words of Prominent Lawyer John W. Davis, Vice Chancellor Prof. Jude Lubega urged the law students to embrace their role in facilitating justice and societal harmony, quoting Davis’s reflection on the unseen yet vital contributions of lawyers.
“I leave you with the wise words of John Davis who once said, and I quote. “True, we lawyers build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures—unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men’s burdens and by our efforts, we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state, go out there and do the same.”
According to Prof. Jude, lawyers may not create tangible structures, but their role in resolving conflicts, ensuring justice, and maintaining societal harmony is pivotal to human welfare.
In her address, Counsel Witness Nabalende, the Acting Dean of the School of Law, emphasized the importance of respect and excellence in the legal profession, urging students to uphold these values diligently. “Your profession demands a certain level of respect most especially for your seniors and colleagues, please uphold these values.”
The annual Lawyer’s Dinner serves not only as a celebration of legal scholarship but also as a transition of leadership within the law society, marking the end of one tenure and the beginning of another.
