Monday morning in Abuja, wigs got a little taller. Sixty-eight of Nigeria's finest lawyers walked into the Supreme Court as mere mortals and walked out as silks – Senior Advocates of Nigeria. It's the legal profession's equivalent of making it to the Premier League, and the Chief Justice herself did the honours.

The Nigerian Television Authority broke the news with a video flash on X on Monday morning. We at cbinews.tv are tracking the full ceremony.

The rank of SAN was created in 1975 by the Legal Practitioners Act to replace the colonial Queen's Counsel (QC). On 3rd April 1975, Chief F.R.A. Williams and Dr Nabo Graham-Douglas became the first two ever to wear the silk.

Chief (Mrs.) Folake Solanke made history in 1981 as the first woman SAN.

By 2011, we had only 344 SANs. By 2019, it was 526. Today, with this new batch, we are now well over 800 silks in a country of over 200 million people and more than 140,000 lawyers on the Roll. That tells you how exclusive it is – less than 1% ever get there.

You need at least 10 years post-call, a mountain of contested cases or groundbreaking academic publications, spotless character, and a library that would make a university jealous.

Behind every silk gown is a 15-20 year grind. These are the lawyers who have been sleeping in court registries, arguing election petitions in Sokoto on Monday and oil and gas cases in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

For the 67 advocates, this means their fees will change, their robes will change, and their responsibilities will change. They can no longer just fight for clients; they are now officially leaders of the Inner Bar, mentors to junior lawyers.

For Prof. Obiaraeri, the only academic on the list, it validates a different path – that you can impact justice not just from the courtroom, but from the classroom.

And for the CJN herself – Justice Kekere-Ekun – this is symbolic. Swearing in new silks at the start of a new legal year, just days after warning judges to stay off politics ahead of 2027, sends a clear message: excellence, not connection, is the standard.

Why does this matter to you?

1. For justice delivery: More SANs means more capacity to handle complex, high-stakes cases – from commercial disputes to human rights and election matters. Quality advocacy makes judges' work easier.

2. For public trust: The SAN rank has faced criticism that it's getting too crowded. The LPPC's strict ban on congratulatory adverts and publicity – under Rule 39(3) of the Rules of Professional Conduct – is meant to curb commercialisation. Break it, and you can be sanctioned.

3. For young lawyers: It shows there is still a merit ladder. You don't have to be a politician's lawyer to make silk.

What does SAN actually mean?

Think of it like becoming a Professor, but for courtroom law. You get:

* The right to wear the silk gown

* The privilege to sit in the front row – the Inner Bar

* The duty to lead by example and take on pro bono cases

* And yes, a higher billing rate – but also higher scrutiny

It's awarded as "a mark of professional excellence" for exceptional distinction in advocacy or legal scholarship.

What Next?

* The new SANs will be formally enrolled into the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN).

* The Supreme Court will publish the full Legal Year address of the CJN later today – expect her to speak on case backlog, judicial autonomy and technology in courts.

* The LPPC has warned – no billboards, no sponsored newspaper spreads celebrating your silk. Keep it modest.

* Next stop for the legal calendar? The new Legal Year court sessions begin nationwide this week.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026. Your silk should be a symbol of courage, integrity and justice – as one senior silk, J.S. Okutepa SAN, reminded them ahead of today.

Stay with cbinews.tv for the full list and CJN's full speech.

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