SUCCESSFULLY navigating the journey towards being admitted to the local Bar is one of the most fulfilling moments and on Friday that accomplishment was celebrated with much pride and joy by young attorney, Olivia Bess. Making the day extra special was the fact that her petition was brought before Justice Sandra Kurtzious at the Demerara High Court by Attorney-at-law Keavon Bess, who happens to be her older brother.
The proud brother, beaming with pride, presented the court with a brief biography of the newest Bess attorney. Bess was born on the 22nd day of July, 1995. She was born to Compton and Rosemari Bess and is the youngest of five siblings.

Bess, during her admission, said her success is one for her entire family, noting that she was able to reach this point only because of the love, support and sacrifices of her parents, who pushed not just her to continue striving for excellence, but also her siblings.
“Often, it is easy for us to reflect on our journey to success without remembering the persons who sacrificed and carried us on their backs. Today is not just about me, it is also about all those people who sacrificed to get me here today. We begin with my parents. They started their life together with one motto, ‘Children must be better than us at all cost’ and they were able to accomplish just that,” said Bess.

She recalled in her journey that she had experienced many ups and downs and noted that like many others, it was filled with many sleepless nights, lots of studying, tears of pain and tears of joy. Nevertheless, Bess noted that no matter the challenge, she had one goal in mind and she stayed focused on it.
“I remember times when it felt like everyone was outperforming me, and I remember times when I felt like I chose the wrong profession. Nonetheless, it was the teachings of my parents that made me determine to continue along the path of success regardless of the challenging circumstances that presented itself, and for that alone I am forever grateful,” Bess expressed.
Prior to her journey into the legal profession, Bess attended Friendship Nursery School and St. Andrews and Sacred Heart Primary Schools. At the latter, Bess wrote her grade six assessment and was granted a place at the Tutorial High School.

After doing exceptionally well at her academics, she was transferred to Saint Joseph High School. There, she wrote 11 subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and did well. She subsequently attended St. Rose’s High where she sat several subjects at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and also did well.
In 2014, Bess applied and was accepted into the University of Guyana to read for a Bachelor’s of Laws degree. Whilst studying for her LLB, she also studied for and obtained a Certificate in Psychology at the University of Guyana and a certificate in Business Etiquette at the Carnegie School of Management and Home Economics.

After completing her LLB in 2017, the following year she was accepted into the Hugh Wooding Law School to read for her Legal Education Certificate and on the 16th day of November, 2020, she was awarded the Legal Education Certificate by the Council of Legal Education, Hugh Wooding Law School.
According to Bess, her journey does not stop with being admitted to the local Bar; she intends to specialise in Business Law.
The young attorney actively participates in voluntary work and has indicated that she intends to continue with this passion. Bess is one of the co-founders of Guyana Activate, which is a voluntary organisation designed to assist small businesses in Guyana.