The 2012 Phillip Jessup experience will be forever lasting in my mind. The fact that a small island nation from a relatively young law programme was able to go up against more experienced institutions and students and hold its own validates the programme. This is very significant in my mind because, locally there is a misguided thought, that Bahamians can not compete or are afraid to compete. The Jessup experience has also demonstrated to me that this nationalistic approach to development locally, may do more harm than good. Quite naturally, that approach limits us in our ability to seek solutions to problems that have already been solved. Jessup has shown that we can turn to international law to resolve many of the daunting and complex social issues currently being encountered.
Secondly, the Jessup has shown the world that we are competent and able to compete among the best of them. Therefore, I hope that going forward through experiences like the Jessup we deliver our country men from this fear. This xenophobia, that exist among us.
Additionally, the Jessup also demonstrates to me how the legal profession locally is suffering in vision. We constantly look at the numbers of attorney who join the profession annually and ask ourselves "where is the work going to come from for all these attorneys?" But the Jessup has shown that in the arena of International Law, the Bahamas and the region has major ground to make up. There are huge opportunities in this area of the law. With the prospects of oil being discussed locally, the Jessup has showm me that the regulatory framework we seek is to be found in the arena of International Law.
So with that being said I would encourage all law students to broaden their horizons and think beyond the borders of the Bahamas. The legal profession is indeed a global one and it is manifested in the arena of International Law. I have found the light through the Jessup Experience!
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