By Sylvester Udemezue
At about 5:50 a.m. this morning (13 October 2025), while standing on the queue at the ValuJet check-in counter at the MM2 Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, a fine-looking, smart-attired, clean-shaven, confident gentleman approached me with a warm smile.
He greeted me respectfully and introduced himself as Mr. Hassan Azeez Taiwo, one of my students at the Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School during the 2010/2011 Academic Session, who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2012 after successfully completing the Bar Final Vocational Programme.
To my delight, he announced that he had just been conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); among the 2025 Set. My joy was indescribable. In that moment, standing amid the hum of travellers, I felt an overwhelming sense of fulfilment; the quiet, sacred joy of a teacher beholding the fruit of years of devotion, discipline, and mentorship.
I congratulated him warmly, prayed for him, and poured upon him the traditional blessings of a teacher, for grace, wisdom, and a distinguished tenure as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
As we waited in the queue to check in, something remarkable happened: something that beautifully illustrated the spirit of humility and mutual respect that defines the finest traditions of the legal profession. Though now a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Hassan Azeez Taiwo, with characteristic humility and exceptional graciousness, insisted that I should be attended to before him.
Deeply touched by this gesture of respect, I nonetheless declined his offer, and I did so with deliberate conviction; although I had once been his teacher, he is now my respected learned senior at the Bar, being a SAN.
In the Nigerian Legal Profession, seniority is not merely ceremonial; it is a revered principle that embodies the hierarchical dignity, discipline, and orderliness of the Bar. The moment one is conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, one ascends to the inner circle of the Bar: a rank that commands respect from all other members of the profession, regardless of prior personal, professional or academic relationships.
It was therefore my honour and professional duty to defer to him (as my senior in law) even though he once sat before me as a student. This is the beauty and paradox of the legal calling: yesterday’s student may, through merit and distinction, become today’s senior; and the wise teacher cheerfully rejoices, not resists.
I am thus reminded of the timeless wisdom of Seneca, who once wrote: “The greatest joy a teacher can have is to see his students excel and even surpass him.” Indeed, as Henry Brooks Adams once observed, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” These words came alive for me today. To see my former students rise to the pinnacle of advocacy fills me with unutterable joy. It is the truest reward of teaching: not wealth, not fame, but the fulfilment that the seeds sown in the classroom have blossomed into oaks of excellence in the temple of justice.
I extend my profound gratitude to the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) for finding my former students worthy of elevation to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Their recognition of merit, discipline, commitment, and professional integrity reassures us that the system still rewards diligence and excellence.
To Mr. Hassan Azeez Taiwo, SAN, I say — Congratulations, my dear former student, now my esteemed learned senior. May the Almighty God bless you with deeper wisdom, enduring grace, and divine favour as you step into this exalted rank. May your advocacy remain a voice for truth and justice, your conduct a model of integrity, and your name a beacon of inspiration for younger lawyers and for the present and future generations.
To all my other former students (past, present, and future) I say: Keep moving; keep striving; keep shining; keep excelling; and keep winning! Let this serve as proof that diligence, patience, and professional decorum are never wasted. I look forward with prayer and faith to seeing more and more of you, my worthy ex students, joining the noble ranks of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
Finally, I thank all my ex-students who have remained worthy ambassadors of the Nigerian Law School and the Nigerian Legal Profession. Your accomplishments reaffirm our shared belief that the foundation of character and competence built in the Law School endures for a lifetime. May you all continue to rise, to serve, and to inspire.
Once again, hearty congratulations to Mr. Hassan Azeez Taiwo, SAN; you make us proud.
)Respectfully,
Sylvester Udemezue
In my personal Capacity as a Lawyer and Law Teacher.
08021365545.
lawmentorng@gmail.com .)
