“Today is a culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication” —new lawyer on Bar admission

It has taken Ramkumarie Ramdass 20 years to become an attorney-at-law; and now that she has accomplished this goal, she has called this feat the “culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication.”
Attorney-at-law Manoj Narayan presented her petition to practise law in Guyana’s courts before Justice Nareshwar Harnanan at the Demerara High Court on Thursday.
Ramdass is one of several Guyanese who graduated from the Trinidad-based Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) last month. She had earned the Legal Education Certificate (LEC), which is the last academic qualification to practise law in the Anglophone Caribbean.
Her path was not an easy one, as is the case for many law students. When Ramdass was worried about how she would pay for her tuition or relocate to a new Caricom member state, her mother Kawalpattie reassured her they would “make it happen.”
“I remember the great relief, joy and excitement I experienced on the 1st of September, 2021, when I received a phone call from the Hugh Wooding Law School offering me a place to study for the Legal Education Certificate,” the newly admitted lawyer has said.
But this feeling changed quickly, she recalled. “I also remember how quickly this relief and excitement turned into anxiety and worry the following day, as I scrolled to the bottom of the offer letter to see the fee schedule.”
She started to doubt the size of this investment even though she was aware of the expensive fees from the start. Without a scholarship or financial aid to fall back on, she began to wonder if this was a wise investment.
With assistance from many family members, she was able to get ahead.
Ramdass told the court that being away from family and being in unfamiliar territory was very daunting, “especially if you follow Trinidadian news”.
However, she said her worries about surviving in Trinidad turned out to be unnecessary, as she was very lucky to have had the best support system anyone could ask for.
“I had my very own Trinbagonian dream team. There is my Aunty Jules and Uncle Prak, who are my Trini Mom and Dad at this point. They have taken me into their home, and they have cared for me and kept me safe,” Ramdass shared with a smile.
Being the first in her family to pursue a career in the legal profession, she did not have the benefit of guidance at her fingertips, but “I had Aunty Ruby on the phone, always checking in on my progress to becoming a lawyer, and ensuring I was on track”, she added.
However, later in her journey to complete law school, she met several lawyers who, according to her, “never hesitated to assist in whatever way possible”.
Ramdass referred to her bar call as a “new beginning”, and pledged to apply to her legal career the same diligence and commitment she had applied in her academic pursuits.
“I intend to exercise as I set out to make my mark in this profession. I will continue to be a student of the law, but at the same time, I recognise that my goal is no longer to achieve good grades; I now have a responsibility to this honourable court, my clients, and to my colleagues. I will take these responsibilities seriously. I will work hard and devote my time and energy to improving the legal system and access to justice, and I will live by the oath that I took…”
After attaining 18 Grade Ones and a Grade Two at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations in 2016, Ramdass went on to complete the Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level in Law, Sociology, and Business Studies at Nations University in 2018.
She attained her Bachelor of Laws (Pass with Distinction) from the University of Guyana in 2021. (Feona Morrison)