FOR the past seven years, 23-year-old Shawn Shewram worked tirelessly to pursue his dream of becoming an attorney. On Thursday, that dream came true when he was admitted to the local bar by Acting Chief Justice Roxane George.

“I stand before you on what can only be considered to be the single most anticipated day of my life…It is a day that I have eagerly dreamt of, yearned for and worked towards for the past seven years. It is a day that my family and friends can revel [in] after finally being able to see the fruits of their tremendous labour. It is the day that one chapter of my life thankfully ends and another one so graciously begins,” Shewram said in his address at the Demerara High Court.

His petition was presented by prominent attorney-at-law and his mentor, Nigel Hughes, a managing partner of Hughes, Fields and Stoby.

The young attorney is a former student of the St Rose’s High School, who had topped Guyana at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) in 2017, and had gained the 10th spot nationally at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations in 2015.

Shewram was also the recipient of the CXC Award for the Most Outstanding Business Studies candidate in the region and he was the first-ever recipient of the ACCA – CXC Award for outstanding performance in Accounting.

He then attended the University of Guyana to read for his Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB).

After completing his LLB, he attended the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) in Trinidad and was recently awarded his Legal Education Certificate (LEC).

There, he secured the Book Specialists Prize – Second Outstanding Year Two Student; the Guyana Government Prize – Best Performance by a Student of Guyana, and the Cameron and Shepherd Prize – Best Performance in Civil Procedure & Practice I and Civil Procedure & Practice II by a Guyanese. He also copped the H Aubrey Fraser Memorial Prize – Best Performance in Ethics, Rights and Obligations of the Legal Profession, and the Course Director’s Prize in Probate Practice & Procedure – Best Performance in Probate Practice & Procedure.

It was a bittersweet moment for Shewram when he addressed the court for the first time as an attorney.

Looking back at the years it took to reach this point, he told the court that he is an attorney today due to the arduous work, sacrifice and perseverance of not only himself, but also of his parents and sister.

He gave special thanks to Hughes, who he said provided him with the means to start and finish his legal studies, and for that he is eternally grateful.

“…. you have provided me with the mentorship, guidance and wisdom that have allowed me to finish every step of my journey with -forgive the self-praise- a distinct mark of excellence. Mr. Hughes, there are not enough words in my limited vocabulary to express my gratitude to you. I deeply hope that one day I can emulate at least one-third of the standard of attorney that you have set in the legal fraternity,” he said.

While chronicling his journey, Shewram said that unlike his classmates at law school, he did not come from a family legacy of attorneys waiting to welcome him to legal procession. He explained that while growing up, becoming an attorney was never on his cards, but the career “picked him” while in he was in Sixth Form.

He said he was greeted with open arms by the HFS family which includes some of the best legal minds in Guyana and he felt right at home.

“Being an AAL [attorney-at-law] is a duty that I intend to take seriously, and it is a role that I will execute with the most dedication and discipline. I undertake to utilise all that I have learnt in both my legal studies and my work experience at HFS to contribute, positively, to the jurisprudence of Guyana. I vow to competently and properly represent my clients’ interests while at the same time obeying my overarching duty to the Honourable Court,” he added.

Like the motto of his alma mater, St Rose’s High School: “Serviam,” a Latin expression which means, ‘I Will Serve,’ Shewram made a promise to live up to the high standards of excellence that have been set by the attorneys-at-law who came before him.