A LETHEM-BORN scholar who left the Region Nine community after Grade Six on a Hinterland Scholarship has been admitted to practise law in Guyana and hopes to eventually return home to establish her own legal practice.
Rennata A Nickram was admitted to the Bar on Friday before Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln in Court Room 12 of the Supreme Court of Judicature, marking the culmination of an academic journey that took her from Lethem to Georgetown and the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas.
Her petition was presented by Attorney-at-Law Sase Gunraj of Gunraj & Co.
Nickram, who is believed to be the first lawyer in her family, said her professional ambitions remained closely connected to her roots in Region Nine and the need for greater access to professional services in hinterland communities.
“Coming from Lethem, it is important to me that my professional journey does not disconnect me from my roots,” she said.
“I hope that, as I grow within the profession, I can use my knowledge and experience to serve others and contribute to greater access to legal services within my community.”
Nickram topped Region Nine at the 2015 National Grade Six Assessment, earning a place at The Bishops’ High School in Georgetown and a Hinterland Scholarship.
Her transition from Lethem to Georgetown meant living away from her family and familiar support network. During her secondary-school years, she lived with a guardian in Lamaha Gardens and returned to Lethem during the Christmas, Easter and August holidays.
She described the experience as an adjustment to a completely different environment while being separated from the family and community she had known.
Despite the challenges, Nickram passed all 12 subjects she attempted at the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
She subsequently spent a year studying International Relations at the University of Guyana before entering the Bachelor of Laws programme in 2021. She graduated with an LLB in 2024 and later completed her Legal Education Certificate at the Eugene Dupuch Law School this year.
Her academic performance also earned recognition when she received the Colin E Callender Q.C. Memorial Prize for Best Performing Student in the Commercial and Financial Services Law Clinic.
The award recognised her performance in the clinic and participation in the STEP Bahamas Moot Competition, which her team won under the coaching of McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes. It was her first experience in a moot competition.
Nickram said her upbringing in Lethem gave her an early appreciation of the challenges faced by hinterland residents in accessing professional services, influencing her decision to pursue a career in law.
“I was drawn to a profession that would challenge me intellectually, while also giving me the opportunity to assist people, advocate for their interests and contribute positively to my community,” she said.
Her parents, Rubeina Khan-Nickram and Kenrick Nickram, expressed pride in their daughter’s achievement, saying they were grateful to witness her reach the milestone.
They credited God for giving her the strength and perseverance to complete her LLB and Legal Education Certificate and proceed to her admission as an attorney-at-law.
They urged her to serve her clients and country with “wisdom, honesty, and excellence.”
As she begins her legal career, Nickram also used her achievement to encourage young people in Region Nine to pursue their ambitions regardless of their backgrounds.
“I would tell them to work hard, stay focused and make the most of every opportunity that comes their way,” she said. “Don’t let where you come from limit what you believe you can achieve.”