Podcaster Oduor Jagero Claims Lawyers Are Not Smart as People Think

Podcaster Oduor Jagero has questioned the intellectual standing of lawyers, describing law as one of the easiest professions to practise.

The remarks came during an episode of his show, where a female guest appeared to disagree with him and defended the complexity of legal work.

Jagero challenged the high regard in which society holds lawyers, arguing that the profession does not deserve it.

"Why do people think that lawyers are smart? You are just reading one book," he said.

He went on to describe the work as repetitive and dull.

"What exactly is law? I think it is the easiest thing on earth to practice. Why do people think that lawyers are smart? It is very repetitive and boring. Is it even literature?" he said.

His guest did not let the claims pass. She argued that law demands a particular skill set that not everyone has, and that language sits at the centre of legal work.

"Anybody can — you just need to have gone to school to understand and interpret words," she said, appearing to partly agree before adding that words are the tools of the trade.

Jagero then pressed her to sum up, in one sentence, what a lawyer actually does in court.

"I am arguing with the Constitution as well as international law," she replied.

Unimpressed, Jagero quipped: "That is easy, right? For a smart person."

The guest held her ground. "No, it's not," she said.

School leavers can apply with a mean grade of C+ or higher in the KCSE, depending on the university, provided they also have at least a B in English or Kiswahili.

Those who sat the old Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education need three principal passes or an equivalent, usually with a good grade in English.

Applicants who studied something else are not shut out. Anyone with a first degree from a recognised university can switch to law, and so can holders of a Diploma in Law who earned at least a credit pass from an institution accredited by the Council of Legal Education.

Some private and specialised schools add an entrance exam testing reading, comprehension and reasoning, followed by an oral interview.

Once admitted, students spend four years on a standard LL.B., whether full-time or part-time.

Graduates who want to practise as advocates of the High Court of Kenya must then complete the one-year Advocates Training Programme at the Kenya School of Law.