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Many applicants for Law Faculty, few places available 11/7/2009 By Heather Greenidge The demand for academic legal education cannot be adequately met by the supply of places in the Law Faculty. In stating this yesterday at the first admission to the Bar in the new Barbados Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, St. Michael, Barbados’ Chief Justice Sir David Simmons said that for the academic year 2007/2008, there were 1 700 applicants to the UWI Faculty of Law for 166 places. He added that the Council of Legal Education in its present configuration would not be able to deliver professional programmes to the vast multitude of law graduates that was portended. The Chief Justice told the 26 new attorneys, which included two males, that they were joining the legal profession at a time when the delivery of legal education in the Commonwealth Caribbean seemed headed for radical transformation. He noted the Mona Campus in Jamaica may well be taking 200 students for the LL.B programme; the University of Technology in Jamaica had launched an LL.B programme and the first class had attracted 137. Sir David added that Trinidad and Tobago were preparing to inaugurate an LL.B programme at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, and said “As a consequence of the expansion of regional facilities for access to academic law programmes, great pressure will be placed on the Council of Legal Education to expand its facilities for the delivery of professional training to the massive numbers of law graduates from the several territories and in particular, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago”. Sir David said that therefore, the Treaty establishing the Council of legal Education would require substantial revision. He noted “We are all aware that when the Treaty entered into force in 1971, direct entry to the Law schools was limited to graduates of the Faculty of Law holding LL.B degrees. Over time, as the demand for legal education in the Commonwealth Caribbean has increased, mechanisms were found to allow access to the Council’s programmes to persons who held non-UWI academic qualifications and professional qualifications in law”. “Even as some of us may lament the retreat from regionalism to de-regionalism, it is undeniable that the demand for academic legal education cannot be adequately met by the supply of places in the Law Faculty,” The Chief Justice said. Pointing out that there would be great competition for legal services in the future, he said “Survival in the harsh, competitive world of legal practice in the future, will be only for the very best”. Sir David therefore advised the new attorneys to have “the same commitment, dedication, hard work and single-mindedness of purpose that you brought to bear on your academic and professional education and training, must be applied throughout your careers as practitioners if you are to achieve success”. He told them that the only way to stay ahead of the competition was to demonstrate excellence in their practice. “It means that you must observe the highest standards of integrity and honest dealing. It means that you must watch the leaders in your profession, learn from them and seek to emulate them”. Sir David reminded the group that “careful preparation and mastery of your briefs will yield success,” and pointed out “You owe it to your clients to be well prepared; you owe it to the court to be well prepared”. In emphasising that "reputation" played a key role in their profession, The Chief Justice observed “As a legal practitioner, your reputation is perhaps your greatest asset. As a service-provider, your ability to attract business and provide a high quality of service, depends, to a large extent, on the public’s perception of you as a lawyer. If you acquire a bad reputation, success will elude you. On the contrary, if gain and maintain a good reputation, you will have a successful career." The attorneys are – Leah Bobb-Semple, Yasmin Brewster, Dionne Brown, Debbie Browne, Alison Burke, Shawn Carter, Honor Chase, Shanna Codrington, Richelle Connel, Cadian Drummond, Kristin Edwards, Kristin Ellis, Sheralyn Forde, Samantha Greenidge, Makala Holder, Kandia King, Anya Kirton, Prithima Kissoon, Sabrina Maynard, Frank Odle, Angela Robinson, Rhea Sealy, Andrea Simon, Jaydene Thomas, Shane Thompson and Lisa Toppin. |
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© 2008 The Barbados Advocate | Powered by Disseminate It