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Your Matter File

The capstone project for Legal Assistant & Law Clerk: Working in a Nigerian Law Office — a free Business course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

One document (Google Doc with view access, or an uploaded Word or PDF file) with a headed section for each of the six parts, every draft marked for counsel's review, and no real personal data.

What to do, step by step

  1. You are the legal assistant at a small Lagos chambers, Adeyemi & Co. A new client, Mrs Bisi Okoye, says a tenant, Mr Femi Lawal, has not paid rent on her three-bedroom flat in Ogba for eight months and refuses to leave, and the tenancy was a yearly one that has now expired. The principal, Barrister Adeyemi, will handle the law; your job is to prepare the file. Everything you draft is for the lawyer's review and must say so on its face. Do not give legal advice anywhere in the file, and do not use any real person's name, address or details.
  2. Part 1. Intake and conflict check: a client intake record (parties, addresses in fictional form, the property, key dates, documents the client has, what the client wants), a conflict-of-interest check note, a confidentiality note, and a list of the documents you would ask the client to bring.
  3. Part 2. Research memo: a memo of 400 to 700 words to the principal identifying the area of law (recovery of premises in Lagos State), the statute or rules that govern it, at least two reported cases or authorities you located with citations, the notices that must precede court action and their periods, and the court with jurisdiction. Name every source and say where you found it. Flag anything you could not confirm.
  4. Part 3. Draft processes for review: the first draft of the notices required before the claim, and of the originating process the principal has asked for, with an affidavit in support, using the court's rules for form. Mark each draft 'DRAFT: for review by counsel' and leave counsel's name and signature block for the lawyer.
  5. Part 4. Filing and service plan: a checklist of what gets filed where, the registry steps and fees to confirm (say 'confirm at the registry' for figures), how each document will be served and proof of service recorded, and how the court file will be numbered and stored.
  6. Part 5. Court diary and case plan: a diary showing every date and deadline from notices through to a first hearing, with reminders set before each, and a one-page case plan of who does what. Include a note of what happens if the client cannot be reached before a deadline.
  7. Part 6. Bill of costs and file closure: a draft bill showing professional fees as a placeholder the lawyer sets, disbursements you can list (filing fees, service, transport, photocopying, at 'to be confirmed' where unknown), time recorded on the matter, and a file-closure checklist including how long the file should be kept and how the client's personal data is protected.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 7 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
The intake record, conflict check and document list are complete and professionally kept14%
The research memo identifies the right law and court, cites real authorities correctly and flags uncertainty honestly22%
The draft notices, originating process and affidavit follow the expected form, are marked for review and leave counsel's decisions to counsel22%
The filing and service plan is complete, records proof of service and confirms fees rather than inventing them14%
The diary captures every deadline with reminders and the case plan assigns responsibility14%
The bill of costs and closure checklist are sensible and handle personal data properly14%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish Legal Assistant & Law Clerk: Working in a Nigerian Law Office before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Legal Assistant & Law Clerk: Working in a Nigerian Law Office is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 7 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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Ready to earn this certificate?

Legal Assistant & Law Clerk: Working in a Nigerian Law Office is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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