Wanda Fortune admitted to Bar: A packed courtroom witnessed Wanda Fortune’s admission to the local bar yesterday. Fortune’s petition was presented to Justice Roxane George by Managing Attorney of the Legal Aid Clinic, Simone Morris-Ramlall, who spoke about the young lawyer’s commitment and her overcoming the many stumbling blocks in her journey.
Justice George, in accepting the petition, told the new attorney that she hoped she would raise the bar during her practice, while urging her to bring scholarship to the profession as it is something that it is badly in need of. To this end, she suggested that Fortune follow the examples of some of the more experienced lawyers, such as Senior Counsel Rex Mc Kay and Edward Luckhoo.
At the same time, Fortune was urged not to follow in the footsteps of lawyers who charge their clients large sums of money but yet appear in court unprepared. Justice George challenged her to earn respect and not to turn up in court late, unprepared and poorly dressed. Integrity and honesty are two cornerstones of the profession, Justice George reminded, adding that the new lawyer has a reputation to protect.
Fortune, the third of six children, is the daughter of Dorothy Blackman and Ian Fortune. She will be attached to the Legal Aid Clinic. In her acceptance speech, she spoke of her mother, a newspaper vendor with whom she spent many days selling newspapers, being her rock throughout her journey. She is the first in her family to have made it so far academically but she hopes others would follow on the journey.
In photo, Wanda Fortune is flanked by Justice Roxane George (left) and Simone Morris-Ramlall
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