Sunday afternoon’s infotainment program on EBS featured a surprise performance by artist Selam Tesfaye. I inquired about their interests in particular legal fields when I spoke with these students. It appears that there was a widespread inclination for human rights. Few people declared their interest in a career in business or corporate law. He primarily justifies this with two arguments, the second of which is crucial. First off, corporate and commercial lawyers don’t give legal lectures or teach legal subjects.
These courses are either taught by very theoretical individuals or by individuals with little actual work experience. Second, there are far more scholarships available for degrees in human rights than for degrees in business and corporate. I find scholarships for Africans who wish to pursue higher-level studies in human rights or development-related fields than business law.
That is very troubling to me! While I do not discount the significance of human rights or development, I believe that the value of competent corporate and commercial attorneys is undervalued. Teaching law and working for an organization are both excellent employment options. The demand for knowledgeable African business advisors, however, is becoming increasingly critical as numerous businesses on the African continent are being formed, acquired, or merged with one another.
