Eyasu Mekonnen, 35, has spent almost one-third of his life in the legal business working as a representative for different companies and as a practicing lawyer. He earned his first and second degrees in law from Haremaya and Addis Abeba universities, respectively.

After serving as a legal practitioner at various organisations, including TK Law Office and the Information Network & Security Agency (INSA), four years ago he joined two friends that have started FLS Law Office.

During the course of his decade-plus career, he has never experienced a slow business season like this one after all the federal and regional courts were partially closed after the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was reported in Ethiopia. Since then the legal sector, including Eyasu’s firm, has been significantly affected.

As the world is reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, many sectors are encountering changes. Even once the pandemic becomes the new normal, the effect on the sectors will be diverse. Over 13 million individuals across the globe have contracted the virus, and it has taken the lives of over 590,000 people.

The crises that are caused by the virus have impacted most global sectors tremendously. It has led many companies and organisations to lay off employees, while others have let their employees work from home. It has disrupted the supply chains of various products and services and forced many of the international airlines to ground their fleets and limit flights.

As COVID-19 continues to hamper the global economy and up-end business as usual, many law firms across the globe are grappling with the big questions of how to move forward, promote sustainability and continue to service their clients. Meanwhile, the legal industry in the United States has plummeted to a nearly 20-year low, sparking layoffs and furloughs at firms.

Since the pandemic set foot in Ethiopia in March, the government has taken various actions to contain the spread of the virus, including closing schools, banning public gatherings, cutting the number of passengers in public transport facilities and also the partial closure of the courts. Since mid-March, the courts have been closed except for urgent cases and cases that have reached the final ruling stage.

The Federal Supreme Court first partially closed the courts on March 19, 2020, and since then it has extended the closure three times so that now courts will not reopen until July 17, 2020. The main aim of the closure, according to the Supreme Court, is to maintain the safety of judges, court employees and their families as well as the community at large.

On March 18, 2020, the Federal Supreme Court announced the first phase of the partial closure of courts that spanned 23 workings days. On April 1, the closure was extended by another 23 working days. The latest extension was announced on May 10 for an additional 27 working days.

For almost four months, the courts were only hearing cases related to domestic violence, cases pertaining to human rights, the safety and security of the country, labour and employment cases, divorce cases, crimes against women and children, as well as the implementation of the state of emergency that was declared to contain the spread of the virus.

Eyasu, who is married and a father of two children, has been working as a lawyer representing his clients at all court levels. But now he is only giving counselling services after the closure of the courts and receiving a much lower overall income.

“I’m over depending on the consultancy service,” he told Fortune. “I used to earn enough income."

He used to earn most of his money through court cases with an average monthly income of 30,000 Br.

While hitting lawyers hard, the impact of the virus is relatively better on corporate lawyers, large law firms that work as in-house counsels assisting companies in every legal aspect.

The current situation pushed many lawyers including Eyasu to turn to legal counselling businesses as a means of survival in this dire situation.

Even the revenue the lawyers generate from their legal counselling services is not enough for survival, according to Yeshiwas Eyasu, an attorney and consultant at law for over a decade.

“The income generated from consultancy services is not more than 10pc of the total income of lawyers,” he said. “It is a manifestation of our income based on court cases.”

Even though the effect of the pandemic is knocking on the doors of all organisations, some sectors are getting back on track since various governmental and non-governmental organisations are re-opening their doors. However, for the business of lawyers to recover, the courts would have to reopen.

The closure not only poses a threat to the livelihoods of the practitioners, according to Eyasu, who says that it could potentially lead to the rise of crime and injustice in the country.

“The Federal Supreme Court should see and evaluate the consequences followed by injustices observed in different corners of the country,” said Eyasu.

Bisrat Teklu, a 32-year-old lawyer, agrees, saying that the closure of courts is affecting citizens who seek instant legal advice.

A father of one, who used to serve as a lecturer as well as a lawyer for the past seven years, has also fully switched his business to the consultancy service after he and his family felt the burn of the income decline.