Law Student of the Month (Aug 2024) – Michael Agu Ebeke

In July 2024, Michael and his team defied the odds to become the first Nigerian team to win the annual Christof Heyns African Moot Court Competition. Our Law Student of the Month tells us about his faculty’s law clinic, his experience during the competition and his artistic side. See full interview transcript below:

• Please introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Michael Agu Ebeke, a 500 level law student, and the current President of the Court of Appeal of the Faculty of Law, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki and the current Deputy Clinic Leader. I’m from Ebonyi State, specifically Unwana city in Afikpo North Local Government Area. It’s such an honour to be featured on this platform, Thank you.

• Tell us more about your life as a law student at the Ebonyi State University (EBSU).

My life as a law student in EBSU has been characterized by constant and consistent learning and personal development. I started my time in 100 level as a boy with so much to learn, so many insecurities to deal with, with the zeal to prove to myself that I was capable of great things, and that zeal led me through every stage in the university. Luckily for me, at the earliest stages, I realized that to distinguish myself in the legal profession, I would have to do more than my academic or classwork and put alot of effort into extra-curricular activities, and that’s exactly what I did.

In 200 level, I applied for and secured my first in-person internship at St Sen Solicitors in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. This experience was truly the solid foundation that propelled my journey in the faculty. The practical legal skills I learnt – like moving motions, drafting court/legal documents, the procedure on recovery of premises at the Magistrate court, civil and criminal procedure and lots more – truly set me on the path, to becoming a judge of the LAWSA High Court in my 300level, and a core and active member in our Law Clinic, and eventually, in my final year, to becoming the President of the Court of Appeal, the highest court in LAWSA EBSU.

I had fallen in love with the practical aspects of law. I have also spent time taking on other opportunities internships, volunteering for Human Rights organizations, and participating in Law Clinic/Mock national and international competitions – including the National Clients Counseling Competition, the National Data Protection Competition, the Nelson Mandela World Moot, and the just concluded 33rd Christof Heyns African Moot Court Competition.  All of this would not have been possible without God, and my dear parents and family, who’ve so far made it possible for me to be here today. I’m truly grateful.

• Which law course have you found to be the most interesting so far, and why?

For now, that would definitely be Human Rights Law. I find the course really eye-opening and relatable to the current struggles and pains faced by people on a daily basis. Utilizing this course as a way to help aid said people is something I look forward to doing. I especially enjoy exploring the exceptions to Human Rights, because it really makes for interesting loopholes discussions and debates that are very interesting to dive into during litigation or at least moot competitions.

• What is the EBSU Law Clinic about?

The EBSU Law Clinic, is one, out of many Law Clinics in different law faculties in Nigerian Universities. The idea of a Law Clinic is basically a department in the Faculty of Law which undertakes the study of the practical aspects of Law in a student-based model, different from the lecturer-student model. In the Law Clinic, the students teach and learn from other students through law practice trainings and workshops, like mini moot court competitions, group discussions, mock trials, national and international competitions and other practical activities. Notably, it is through the Law Clinic that the University makes representations in national and international competitions.

The EBSU Law Clinic, though student-based, is headed by a Director who is usually a law lecturer, whose duty it is to oversee the activities of the students and to serve as a guide to the students. In the case of the EBSU LAW Clinic, our current Clinic Director is none other than Dr Mrs Chioma Vivian Iteshi, who has been instrumental in the administration of the weekly clinic activities as well as pivotal in securing and facilitating the Clinic’s participation in the various international competitions embarked on by the clinic.

• Congratulations on your recent feat at the 33rd Christof Heyns African Moot Court Competition; becoming the first Nigerian university to win the competition. Tell us about your experience at the competition.

Thank you. The moot was an experience that I can only describe as nothing short of a dream come true in all ramifications. It was truly an amazing experience. But with all of it’s positives, it came with a lot of sacrifices and it came with it’s lows in certain instances, which kept our team in a rollercoaster of emotions.

The lows of the competition can be characterized by the sheer difficulty involved in participating in the competition. This difficulty started from the memorial drafting stage, when the members of the Law Clinic put in long hours into research and refining of arguments in order to prepare the memorials and make the submission on time; it was not an easy process. Also the number of oral rounds we had to push through back-to-back in the one week we spent in Kigali Rwanda for the moot was truly challenging, but we thank God for the grace to pull through.

After 4 hectic rounds of oral arguments in the preliminary rounds, only 8 English-speaking universities, out of around 60 schools participating in the competition, were to progress to the quaterfinal rounds. Waiting for the results was daunting, and the suspense, chilling, as team EBSU, crossed our fingers in prayers, hoping to progress to the next round. Hearing our names in the top 8 was one of the most fulfilling and exciting moments of the competition, as I specifically, was moved to tears publicly and uncontrollably, a moment I would never forget.

At the end of the day, all the hardwork from my teammate, Cythia Ibor Nwamaka, our Clinic Director and members of EBSU LAW Clinic, was worth it, as not only did we win the Competition, but we got to experience the beautiful city of Kigali, Rwanda, and we got to have one of the most impactful learning experiences, that is the Christof Heyns African Moot Court Competition.

Specifically, in the final round, we were privileged to argue before the current President of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, Honourable Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud, who presided over the round, along with other major international human rights figures as brother judges. Also, I got to meet some of my idols and role models in the mooting world, in the persons of Martin Kioko Munyoto, and Sidney Tambasi, from the Kenyatta University School of Law, who are former champions of the 2021 African Moot Court Competition, and who were also finalists in the 2020 Nelson Mandela Moot Court Competition. Not to mention all the new friends I have made from different countries in the course of the competition, notably, my co-counsel and teammates in the finals, Mr Watson Somerai and Miss Michelle Chiwanga from Midland State University, Zimbabwe. It was such a pleasure meeting and working with all of these wonderful people.

• Did you face any significant challenges regarding your participation? How did you surmount such challenges?

I can confidently say that we were blessed to have had a smooth experience with respect to our travel processes both to Rwanda and back. Though funding is usually a challenging factor in the participation of the faculty in international moots, however, the management of Ebonyi State University, specifically, the Vice Chancellor of our University, Professor Chigozie Ogbu, as well as our State Government under the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru, have alleviated that challenge, as these personalities have shown readiness to sponsor our trips, to ensure that the state is represented in international competitions.

• For the benefit of some of our readers who are also law students, what other international competitions are open to African law faculties?

A lot of competitions are open to African law students, for example, the Nelson Mandela World Moot Court Competition, which is organized by the Center for Human Rights, the same organization that organizes the African Moot. Other competitions include the Manfred Lachs Space Law Competition, the International Client Counseling and Consultation Competition, the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition and many more.

• We see that, on the side, you create artworks. How did you get into this, and do you monetize your works?

Yes, I do create art, specifically hyper-realistic pencil drawings, and pastel paintings. I do this as a passion, a hobby and as a side business. So any reader interested should feel free to patronize me @+2347017727985, art commissions are available… Lol.

I’ve always loved drawing and I’ve done this since I was a little kid. Over the years however, I have sharpened my skills adopted different styles and techniques from popular Instagram artists that I follow and I’ve been evolving my art year after year. Creating art definitely makes up the bulk of how I spend my free time, and I love and enjoy every bit of it.

• Which areas of law are you interested in? And do you see yourself practicing law long-term?

I definitely do see myself practicing law long-term, but the specific area of law is what I’m not too certain of just yet. However, I am very much interested in the areas of Human Rights, Corporate Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

• Any final words?

On a final note, I would say that there is nothing one cannot achieve with consistency, determination and the necessary guidance. For all the feats I have been able to achieve, I am so thankful to God Almighty, the author and finisher of all things. I’m also grateful to my University, the State Government, our Clinic Director, Dr Mrs Chioma Vivian Iteshi, my friends at EBSU Law Clinic, our alumnus Mr Okpara Raymond and other senior Clinicians who laid the foundation upon which we currently thrive. To Bar. Chidera Ben Igwenyi, thank you for your recommendation and support, and to my parents, Mr and Mrs Cyril, and Rosemary Agu Ebeke, and my sister Miss Maryln Agu Ebeke, who in one way or the other have made it possible for me to reach this point of being recognized by LEGAL PAGES as the Law Student of the Month. Thank you all so much.

Specially, I want to thank Bar. Tayo Fabusiwa, the founder of LEGAL PAGES, for this singular honour, I am truly grateful.