In the recent years, most if not all law firms or government institutions have been bombarded with a multitude of applications for prospective clerkship students. There seems to be a need for everyone to clerk in Kampala loosely called the “city of opportunities”. I know of students that took close to 3 months without a placement. Unfortunately, there’s not enough space to accommodate all the 600 plus students every year. Firms and a couple of institutions have painfully had to leave out so many brilliant minds due to lack of space and resources despite some students offering to use facilities like the library or the reception. They just want space. That’s all. Some even offer to volunteer.

What can be done? Is it time to do virtual supervision or trainings? Is it possible to have a few students at office and the rest supervised remotely? Is it something that can work. In whatever we do, we can’t run away from the increasing number of students every year. It’s high time we came up with solutions. Everyone needs mentorship.

The writer, Bazira, is a Litigator, Insolvency & Rising Star nominee – Uganda Law Society (ULS).