–Pauline Chase reflects on her journey to becoming an attorney

By Feona Morrison

ATTORNEY Pauline Chase’s late father, Ashton Chase, a well-respected Senior Counsel in the Commonwealth, strongly encouraged her to pursue a career in law.

Although Pauline’s ultimate goal was to become a nutritionist, she started reading for a Diploma in Public Management at the premiere university in the country, the University of Guyana (UG), at the age of 15. This marked the beginning of an arduous journey that involved years of academic study, real-world experience, and a dedication to lifelong learning and professional development.

Following her successful completion of this programme, she enrolled in UG’s law degree. She stated that while none of her older siblings followed in her father’s professional footsteps, it was his intention for his children to do so.

“I think I was his last hope. My elder siblings: my brother, my sister did not gravitate towards the law. My brother became an orthopedic surgeon and my sister went into security. My father urged me to try law and I did and I liked it and I stayed with it,” she shared.

During Pauline’s time, students enrolled in the three-year law programme initially attended the University of Guyana for their first year. They had to finish their second and final years at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados.

She graduated with honours after successfully completing her law degree. She was able to gain a strong foundation in legal knowledge through the law programme’s demanding curriculum in subjects including contracts, criminal law, civil procedure, constitutional law, and more.

Pauline attended the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) in Trinidad and Tobago after graduating from UWI in order to pursue her Legal Education Certificate (LEC), which is the final academic requirement for practicing law in the Anglophone Caribbean. She was admitted to the Bar after finishing the two-year course with success.

When asked to give a brief account of her early years, the attorney said: “As a child, I attended Stella Maris nursery and primary schools. From there, I attended QC [Queen’s College] and I stayed there from first to fifth form; I had a wonderful time there. I enjoyed my high school life, my primary school life. I wrote CSEC [Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate] and I attained all my subjects. And then I progressed to the University of Guyana at the age of 15 because I started school early…”

Pauline is passionate about her work as a lawyer, as they are trusted advisors who become involved in their clients’ lives.

When asked what she enjoys the most about being part of this noble profession, Miss Chase noted that helping people is really what drives you as an attorney.

“It is just something within you to want justice, to want to right wrongs, to see the right prevailing in society or in a situation,” she continued.

“Any passionate attorney would tell you that that is what really is their motivation. It’s that inherent since of justice to see right being done and wrongs being corrected.”

Having been a member of the legal community for more than 23 years, Pauline is now encouraging anyone aspiring to become a lawyer to pursue their dreams, saying, “By all means do all that you can to achieve that goal. But know that when you achieve that goal, it comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility.”

She emphasised that nothing could be more accurate regarding the legal profession than the Bible verse, “To whom much is given, much is expected,” which Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, the Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), frequently quotes.

“You [attorneys] are seen in society as someone who is noble; the profession is noble. But it really is an opportunity not only for you to grow and for what you can gain but for also what you can give back to society. If you approach it from that angle, you are in good stead and it will serve you well.”

Pauline is the current Chairman of the Public Procurement Commission (PUC) and President of the Queen’s College Old Students’ Association. In 2021, she became the first woman to be elected President of her alma mater’s old students’ association.

Miss Chase is a devoted volunteer and was the Guyana Bar Association’s President. She now serves as the Bar Association’s Vice President.

Her father, Ashton Chase, is known for being a legal luminary and a forerunner in the political and trade union arenas. He passed away in July 2023 at the age of 96.