Campbell called to the OECS Bar

Mandella Rosalie Campbell is on a mission to stand up for the things that are right and to adhere to the highest ethical standards, in order to raise the standard of the legal profession here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

Campbell, the daughter of Queen’s Counsel Parnell Campbell and Pastor Juliette Campbell, was on Friday, October 14, 2011, at the High Court in Kingstown, admitted to the Local Bar as a barrister and solicitor.

The young attorney was presented to the Bar by this country’s Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, and her application was seconded by attorney Stanley “Stalky” John.

Her admission to the bar, which was presided over by his Lordship, Justice Frederick Bruce-Lyle, was witnessed by her parents, siblings, other close relatives and friends of the family.

Addresses from Attorney General Judith Jones Morgan, President of the Bar Association Dr Linton Lewis and Mandella’s father were also made in support of the young woman’s admission.

In an interview on Wednesday, October 19, the 24-year-old Queen’s Drive resident said she was not that emotional at the calling, but noted it was a very proud moment in her life.

“It was still an awesome experience which I will never forget. I am truly humbled and grateful to God for the opportunity to enter into the legal profession,” Campbell said.

A former student of the Girls’ High School and the SVG Community College, Campbell obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Law, with upper second class honours, at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, on July 3, 2009.

She then went on to the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad where she obtained her Legal Education Certificate (L.E.C) on September 2, 2011.

The young counsel revealed that she always had a passion for law, but it was never her first choice as a career. She explained that she wanted to become a paediatrician, but chartered a different course for two reasons.

“One of my older sisters went off to study medicine and for me at a young age, it seemed like she took forever…,” Campbell heartily chuckled.

Campbell also recalled, while she was a student at the Kingstown Preparatory School, she was a witness in a case involving two students. She said she wanted to represent her friend in the matter, because she thought that the person who represented her did not do a good job.

Reminiscing on her time spent at UWI and Hugh Wooding, Campbell admitted that it was no easy journey, but revealed that she always relied on the strength of God and from the encouragement, love and support from her family and friends.

“It was a great experience. I got the opportunity to meet people of different cultures. My academics was never easy, since I made the transition straight from A’level college to university…,” Campbell said. She added that it was extremely difficult for her in the first few months in Barbados, and at one point, she felt like calling her dad to tell him that she wanted to come home.

However, the devout Christian said a passage of scripture came to her shortly after. It was Proverbs 3, verses 5-6, which says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

“It was not easy. It was challenging sometimes where I had to spend long hours in the Law library, but by the grace of God, was able to overcome five years of strenuous studies,” she beamed.

Campbell has done extremely well throughout her academic career, receiving various awards at all levels of her studies.

Campbell is of the belief that if she joins with other colleagues to adhere to the high ethical standards, walk humbly, represent clients to the best of her ability, and not just see them as a pay cheque, the bar standards will be raised to new standards.

“Once I join with the profession to fulfil these duties to the administration of justice, the court and the state, I believe, we could do bigger things,’ Campbell expressed.

She further noted that it is one thing to recognise the duties that are required of lawyers and make “lofty” speeches about upholding the highest ethical standards, but it is another thing to have the courage to actually act on such things.

At the calling, Campbell showed some of that courage by offering up a prayer for the nation, the judges, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and members of the Bar Association.

She thanked everyone who played a role in her success thus far, especially her grandmothers Ruth Peters and Rosalie Marksman, both of whom she said, served as great sources of inspiration. (KW)