‘I was among the top 10 in Ghana School of Law entrance exam’ – 67-year-old man called to the Ghana Bar

Samuel Victor Addo, who was called to the Ghana Bar at 67 this year after retiring from a successful career in corporate America, has revealed that he ranked among the top 10 candidates nationwide in the entrance examination for the Ghana School of Law in 2024. Mr Addo said he was determined to excel in his legal studies and approached the examination with a combination of discipline, careful preparation and a strategy for answering questions.

He disclosed this on Joy FM’s Personality Profile with Lexis Bill on Thursday, October 22, where he reflected on his return to the classroom in Ghana and the demands of pursuing a legal career later in life. “I was definitely in the top tier. Oh yes. I was in the top tier. And I like to tell this story. And now that it’s over, I can mention it,” he said.

Mr Addo explained that after completing his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, he had to sit an entrance examination to proceed to the Ghana School of Law for professional legal training. “In my year in 2024, I think there were maybe over 4,000 people who took the test. When the results came, I was in the top 10 out of the 4,000 in the whole of Ghana who took the Makola entrance exam,” he said.

He said the result reflected the seriousness with which he approached his studies. “So that tells you that I was a studious person and I didn’t come to play,” he added. Discipline and strategy Mr Addo said his performance was not simply a matter of natural ability but also the product of sustained effort and an understanding of how to approach legal examinations.

He explained that success required students to study diligently, spend time understanding the questions and identify the key legal principles examiners expected them to address. “It was just the sheer application of yourself, learning, staying late at night, and trying to understand what they are asking for,” he said. He cautioned that writing lengthy answers did not necessarily guarantee good marks if candidates failed to address the central issues in a question.

“When you take a test, you can write 10 pages and still not get to the gravamen of what they are looking for,” he said. According to him, students needed to identify the essential points and answer questions directly rather than burying their arguments in lengthy explanations. “The trick is to, for this question, say, ‘What are the five, six, or seven things? and just go straight into that,” he said.

He said reviewing past questions, identifying recurring trends and studying marking schemes were among the techniques that helped candidates prepare effectively. “And so there’s a whole lot of strategy that comes into play when you’re reading law that would ensure your success,” he said. A new career at 67 Mr Addo’s achievement came after he returned to Ghana following a successful career in the United States, including work with Delta Air Lines, to pursue law.

He has previously described studying alongside much younger classmates as a refreshing experience rather than a disadvantage. Although he acknowledged that legal education demanded considerable dedication and sacrifice, he said he remained focused on completing the programme. His experience offers an example of the discipline and preparation required to navigate professional legal training, regardless of age or previous career experience.