Young lawyer is grateful for the strides she has made

By Telesha Ramnarine 

JANET Adeba Ali grew up in a family of lawyers and always had their support along her academic journey. At times, though, it was tough to consider the fact that many of her family members were successful and were looking upon her to be the same.

But instead of viewing this as a problem and giving up, she allowed their expectations to motivate her to work harder and achieve her goals. In fact, at just 23 years old, Janet was admitted to the Guyana Bar Association a few months ago.

Born to Abdul Ali and Sunita Durgah (Headmistress of St. Margaret’s Primary School), Janet attended Happy Hearts Nursery, Redeemer Primary and Queens College. She made her way to the University of Guyana (UG) where she did a year of Sociology to be accepted into the law programme. It wasn’t easy to get in. Janet had to ensure she received a distinction for the first-year programme. She did and subsequently received her LLB after doing the law programme for three years.

The pressure continued building up because completing the law programme at UG did not guarantee her a space at Hugh Wooding Law School. Only the 25 students who performed the best would be given acceptance. Being the bright, diligent student she was, Janet earned her space at the prestigious law school and obtained her Legal Education Certificate (LEC) after attending for two years.

On her birthday, last October, Janet proudly stood with her caring family and friends at the High Court as she was admitted to the bar.

“That has been my life plan since I was a little girl,” she expressed during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine recently, and she also reflected on the fact that several members of her family are lawyers, including her grandfather, aunts, and uncle.

“My family noticed my ability since as a child and they guided me and supported me throughout the years. My father was my pillar of strength. He closed his business when I was born just to give me the attention I needed. He would sit with me and ensure I studied each day. He would go through all of my books, and whenever I performed well, he would give me rewards,” she recalled, adding, “He would take me to school, pick me up, and today I am really thankful to him for that. Even when I was writing exams, I remember him coming at the school and giving me Milky Way, juice…he was always there for me.”

Her mom, too, was a pillar of strength to her. “She was actually a teacher at the school, so she would know what areas I needed to focus on, and the past test papers that I could use. Since I was little, my family started planning for me. They saved from since I was a child to make sure I would achieve my goal of becoming a lawyer.”

Today, Janet said she is very humbled by her achievements. Notwithstanding some serious challenges that came her way in the process, she was able to move past them. she plans to work for a few years in the public system before branching off into private practice.

Janet says studying law requires a lot of dedication and sacrifice. “When I started law, I was very academically inclined, but my grades dropped. I actually failed one of my favourite courses in the first year, and at that point, I felt like my world was shattered. I realised in life there will always be down moments, times when you feel like giving up. But if you persevere and keep at it, it will be worth it in the end. The sun always comes up the next day so you shouldn’t give up.”

Janet advises setting goals and working at them no matter what comes up. “Always have a plan, don’t overthink things, get enough rest, eat a well-balanced diet, and do things at your own pace.”