TWENTY-FOUR-year-old old Michael Munroe was, on Monday, admitted to the local Bar by Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire, to practise in his home country.

His petition was read by Attorney Ronald Burch-Smith, who lauded the young man for his many accomplishments over the years. Munroe graduated from the Hugh Wooding Law School on Saturday, with several special awards: The Guyana Government Prize; The Book Specialist Prize, which is for the best overall performance in academic and extracurricular activities; The Caribbean Court of Justice International Law Moot Competition; and the American Caribbean Law Initiative. He was also listed as the only Guyanese student on the Principal’s Roll of Honour. The Roll of Honour students are those who demonstrated excellence by attaining ‘A’ grades in at least six of the 11 courses over the two years of study.

His academic performance however, was exceptional since his early childhood, into the Bishops High School, then the University of Guyana. He took the same focus to Hugh Wooding, and in his very first year at Law School, Munroe was awarded The London House Chambers Kissoon Prize and The M H Shah Memorial Prize, both of which were for the Best Performance in Legal Drafting and Interpretation.

At his admission on Monday, the young man told the Guyana Chronicle that law was a default career choice that he grew to love over the years. He said that he developed a passion for finding solutions to complex issues, which is what law is really about.
“Dealing with complex issues and finding solutions for these issues is really heartwarming, and I look forward to using my capabilities to help solve issues society may have,” Munroe said.

Though Munroe is usually, a high flyer, he said the news of being the top student took him by surprise. “I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting it, but I knew I worked hard. I had a plan and ultimately the plan worked out. God’s favour and his grace would have allowed me to emerge with this position. Ultimately, position doesn’t really define who I am, it’s just an accolade,” he said.

He described his two years at Hugh Wooding as challenging, but he was a guy with a plan.
“It was challenging to be honest. The most difficult task was managing your time. I think Hugh Wooding would have underscored for me, the importance and the value of time, because how you utilise your time, ultimately dictates what outcome you would have, in any endeavor you have. We had an intense taxing work load and at the end of the day, it came down to not being the brightest per se, but being able to manage your time strategically,” Munroe said.

He also alluded that one of the most invaluable benefits of Hugh Wooding is the fact that it allows you to meet colleagues from all over the Caribbean. “That regional integration spirit is something that the law school fosters,” he said.

Even though Munroe is now admitted to the Bar to practise, he said that this is not where it ends. In fact, the young scholar said since he has a passion, and his expertise lies in legislative drafting, he is now venturing off to specialise. “I have a passion for legislative drafting. So the intent is to specialise in that area and come back and serve my country,” Munroe told this newspaper.

Adding that, “I think given that Guyana is on the cusp of Oil and Gas economy it would more or less underscore the need for reformation of a lot of our laws. In that regard, we will need skilled draftsmen to be able to draft the requisite laws, and allow for harmony amongst the laws, to enable Guyana to fortify its legal framework, in light of this new economy.”