What's your favorite quote?
"Dictionary
is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we
must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to
pay the price." (Vince Lombardi)
This
quote is not only my favorite but also my personal motto because it reminds me
that no matter my natural talents, in order to be successful, I have to remain
invested and committed to whatever goal I endeavor to attain through consistent
hard work.
Inspirational Person:
I would name my
mother as someone who inspires me daily. She grew up through Peter Street in
the Over-the-Hill area and like many of her generation used education as a
means to an end. She graduated from THE Government High School going on to
attend the University of Western Ontario gaining a dual degree in Economics and
Sociology and completed her education at the University of Miami where she
earned an MBA. She was able to accomplish these things less than ten years
following majority rule and less than fifteen years following universal
suffrage. Today she is a career civil servant as a Permanent Secretary in the
Ministry of Finance.
Besides her academic
and professional qualifications, my mother has also been an inspiration to me
through her personal life. Despite the fact that she has been a single parent
for the majority of my life, she has consistently been supportive of my goals
and life choices always
remaining my biggest fan.
Areas of Interest:
International Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Civil Litigation, Commercial Law,
Trust, Pro bono practice
Major Goals 2012 - 2013:
I would like to see the Law Society expand its advocacy
programme. Last academic year 2011 – 2012, in my then capacity as Vice
President of the Law Society, I spear-headed the organization of the first team
from The Bahamas to ever compete in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot
Competition. This year in my capacity as President, I would like the advocacy
programme extended beyond the Jessup to include the Caribbean Court of Justice
International Law Moot as well as the Inter-American Human Rights Moot.
I would also like to see the Law Society become more active
with regard to our social responsibility. We do have a major charity event
planned for this year and it is my sincere hope that this will be quite
successful.
Furthermore, I would like the Law Society, through its
global citizenship programme, to offer language clinics to encourage members of
the LL.B programme to become multilingual. We are also hoping to introduce a
mentorship programme within the LL.B programme and eventually extend it to the
legal community at large to foster networking among law students, junior
lawyers and senior lawyers.
Additionally, I would like the Law Society to create a
building fund in partnership with the College of The Bahamas to ensure that
future members of the LL.B programme have an educational space unique to their
needs as future legal practioners. This could also facilitate the creation of a
Faculty of Law under the proposed University of The Bahamas.
Finally, I would like the Law Society to experience an
increase of participation in its events and programmes from the members of the
LL.B programme itself as well as the administration of the College of The
Bahamas.
Hobbies:
Joseph Story, an American lawyer and jurist once said that,
“The
law is a jealous mistress, and requires a long and constant courtship. It is
not to be won by trifling favors, but by lavish homage." However, despite
this fact of legal studies, I do still manage to maintain a few hobbies. These
include reading, writing, the continued study of Spanish and Italian and other
pet projects linked to global citizenship and national development. I would say
that reading is my favorite hobby and authors I enjoy include Isabel Allende,
Toni Morrison, Almudena Grandes and John Grisham. I am currently reading De
amor y de sombra by Isabel Allende.
Five years from now...
In the next five years, following an LL.M in Arbitration and being qualified as a member of the New York State Bar, I see myself working as an associate
in a local law firm with the goal to become partner before my fifth anniversary
of being called to The Bahamas Bar. Additionally, it is my hope that in the
next five years I will be able to contribute to the development of
a baccalaureate degree programme in International Studies to be offered by the
University/College of The Bahamas.
I am organized, dedicated and a hard worker. I am aggressive
in my pursuit of goals in all aspects of my life and tend to remain positive
and enthusiastic about achieving goals despite minor setbacks or major
obstacles.
Favorite Law Experience to Date:
In the past two years of my enrollment as an LL.B student, I
must admit that I have had some great experiences, from attending the 2011
Margaret Forte Moot to the meeting the Attorney General and the Chief Justice,
however my favorite experience to date has been participating in the Jessup.
The Jessup remains my favorite experience as it combined my love of
international law with my respect and encouragement of global citizenship while
reinforcing my ideal that law is indeed a passion I must follow.
