New attorneys told: journey has now started

Close to 50 young attorneys-at-law were told to value their honesty, integrity and reputation above all else.

They got this advice from acting Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams, who along with Chief Justice Sir Patterson Cheltenham welcomed them to the practice of law during their admission to the Bar on Monday.

Describing them as the “most diverse set of young lawyers” he had ever seen, Abrahams reminded the 48 new attorneys that their work had only now started.

During the ceremony in the No.1 Supreme Court this afternoon, both Abrahams and Sir Patterson lauded the island’s newest batch of attorneys for adjusting to the challenging environment in which they had to study, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The minister praised the 33 females and 15 males for completing their studies despite having to sit virtually for the last two years of their course of study.

He, however, cautioned them not to think “they had arrived” as their journey had now begun.

“I cannot possibly imagine what it was like to be in this new set of admissions. For the first time ever, I believe the last year of their studies at the undergrad were done virtually and they went through the best part of two years at law school virtually.

“Law school is where you hone your craft and where you put the theory that you learned at UWI or at other universities (into practice)… You don’t learn law until you start to practise,” Abrahams said.

“It is easy to think that having gotten through two years of study that you have arrived. I wish to disavow you of that notion. You actually do need to understand the realities of what you face, what law is about and what the practice of law is about.

“Honesty, integrity, reputation, you can take those three words and plant them in your mind and if you bear those three things in your mind you cannot possibly go wrong.”

Abrahams also encouraged them to forge strong relationships with not only other lawyers, but with the other arms of the judiciary.

He urged them not to be afraid to “provoke change”.

Chief Justice Sir Patterson told the new attorneys that they were embarking on an exciting career as he advised them to pay particular attention to the Data Protection Act and the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Prevention and Control Act.

Both pieces of legislation, he said, “provided a number of obligations and rights” that have “several implications” for practising lawyers.

“In the past decade the Parliament of Barbados ushered into law two critically important pieces of legislation. Collectively, following their passage these acts have served to fast-track a client revolution in respect of the practice of law.

“A constant feature of legal practice will be change. As lawyers, much of your success will depend on the ways in which you are prepared to adapt to change and adopt new practices to the benefit of your practice and your clients,” Sir Patterson pointed out.

He said the areas represented opportunities to “differentiate yourselves” in an increasingly competitive market.

Sir Patterson also encouraged the new crop of attorneys not to shy away from practising criminal law, an area which would help them to hone their skills.

He made it clear that there was no easy, get rich scheme in practising civil law.(RB)