-says budding int’l environmental lawyer during bar admission
TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD Jamaal Duff reached a pivotal point in his legal journey when he was admitted to the local bar on Wednesday, after completing his studies at the Trinidad-based Hugh Wooding Law School.
His petition was presented by attorneys Ronald Burch-Smith and Mark Waldron, partners at the Burch-Smith & Waldron law firm. He was later admitted to the bar by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George SC in the presence of his family and friends.
In reflecting on his journey to success, Duff said he was elated to have reached this significant point in his journey. The new attorney stated that he had to endure “a roller coaster ride” to get to where he is today.
“My journey to becoming an attorney-at-law was certainly not easy. It included late nights, early mornings, sometimes no sleep at all and so many other sacrifices. It was also filled with a lot of fond memories shared with my colleagues,” said Duff.
He stated that he fell in love with law while a student of the Bishops’ High School and it was then that he made the decision to pursue law as a career choice.
He recalled the support he received from his law teacher, Claire Maison, after he expressed his interest in that field of study. Duff noted that even after high school “Miss Maison” played a pivotal role in his legal journey as she often availed herself whenever he encountered difficult issues during his studies.
He stated that although studying abroad came with its own challenges, he found comfort in the friendships he made. This provided assurance that he was not alone in his journey.
The young man recalled the many nights of celebration he shared with his friend “Dexter” after completing many of the complex law assignments.
Duff did not forget his parents. He said they played the most important role in his educational pursuits as they always stressed the importance of education.
Duff, who is the son of Stabroek News sports editor/journalist Donald Duff, stated that without the support of his parents he would not have been able to succeed.
The new attorney stated too that he has plans to specialise in international environmental law. He noted that this is one of the areas that has caught his attention because of the trajectory Guyana is on as a new oil-producing nation.
“I am very interested in the environment and as you could see with Guyana getting oil that would be an area of concern because as much as people specialise in oil and gas, the repercussions from these oil-and-gas explorations on the environment need to be dealt with and a good legal professional in that area is important,” said Duff.
Duff stated that if he could give one piece of advice to other persons looking to follow their dreams of being in the legal profession, he would tell them: “it is tough, but you can do it if you dedicate yourself; you put in the work you can do it. Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do it. Just put in the hard work, late nights, you’ll always have late nights, assignments, exams and so on, but stick to it.”
