Jonathan Yusufu Pam studied Law (LLB) at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986. He obtained an LLM from the University of London in 1995 as a Chevening Scholar of the British Council and interned with The Interrights Organisation and Human Rights Watch in London, both globally renowned organisations.
He has held various positions including Chairman, Civil Liberties Organisation, Plateau State (1994 to 1997), Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Plateau State (2000 to 2002), Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Plateau State and Special Adviser on Youth and Sports to the Government of Plateau State (2002 to 2004).
Jonathan is a private legal practitioner and the Managing Partner in the law firm of J.Y. Pam and Company. He is a corporate lawyer with extensive experience in commercial law and practice and acts as legal adviser/external solicitor to several corporations, financial institutions and governments on matters regarding corporate law, company incorporation, taxation, criminal law and civil litigation.
Jonathan’s law firm offers pro bono services as attorneys acting on behalf of indigent persons unable to afford legal services in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association and the Nigerian Legal Aid Council.
In the course of his service as Attorney General and Chief Law Officer he represented the State in high profile litigation, both civil and criminal, and performed critical roles in inter-governmental affairs and matters of constitutional interpretation.
He is currently the Chairman, Board of Trustees, of the James and Elizabeth Pam Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, established with the objectives of Peace-building, Inter-communal mediation and Youth Development. The Foundation engaged in extensive peace-building work in Plateau State which received national and international acclaim and resulted in collaborative work with the Geneva-based HD Center for Humanitarian Dialogue.
Jonathan has attended numerous capacity-building courses in prestigious Universities including The Havard Business School in Boston, USA and The Columbia Business School in New York, USA where he studied Risk Management for Corporate Leaders, Leading Change for Organisational Renewal and High Impact Leadership.
Jonathan also served as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Directors of Keystone Bank Limited between 2011–2015.
He is married with five children.