Leaders back mentorship push at Norman Manley Law School

Senior members of the judiciary have endorsed a new mentorship initiative at the Norman Manley Law School (NMLS), describing it as a necessary bridge between academic training and the realities of legal practice.

The programme, launched with a strategic dining event on February 21 at Mary Seacole Hall at The University of the West Indies, Mona, forms part of a pilot designed to introduce students to the profession’s unwritten expectations, a “hidden curriculum” that its organisers say is essential to shaping the next generation of Caribbean lawyers.

Guest speaker Justice Hugh Small urged students to treat mentorship as a navigational tool in what he called a “lonely profession”, likening it to a “global positioning system”.

He pressed future practitioners to confront the question, “How will I behave as a lawyer?”, arguing that law school alone does not impart the “unwritten rules, unspoken norms, and soft skills” needed for a fulfilling career. “A good mentor is not going to give you the answers; the mentor will help you find yourself,” he said.

The event also reunited several senior jurists. Justice David Batts of the Supreme Court of Jamaica said the initiative offered practical value in easing students’ transition to the bar.

“The mentorship initiative is a good idea as it assists the transition from student to practitioner, and the dining event is a good complement to that,” he noted. He added that the evening was enjoyable, providing an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues.

Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, president of the Court of Appeal, stressed the ethical dimension of the programme. She argued that professional credibility rests on internalised values rather than on academic achievement alone.

“It’s not only about being bright; it’s about being a whole professional,” she said. “Your word must carry weight and command respect because it can be relied upon.” Reputation, she added, is “wealth” in legal practice.

PERMANENT ADDITION

NMLS Principal Dr Christopher Malcolm said that while mentorship through dining was “neither a new nor innovative” concept, the school intended to embed it permanently into its training model. Drawing on his own experience with the current chief justice of Barbados, he said the school was deliberately shaping an “ideal graduate”, one who uses human insight to improve effectiveness in litigation and other areas of practice.

The pilot drew regional attention. Guyanese attorney and anti-corruption advocate, Christopher Ram, described the initiative as an example of Jamaica’s leadership in Caribbean legal standards.

“What we saw tonight was Jamaica again establishing leadership among Caribbean countries,” he said. Standards of decorum and ethics, he argued, cannot be acquired from books alone. “While we must demystify aspects of the profession, we must also uphold its traditions.”

Students reported that the engagement provided rare access to senior members of the profession. Final-year student Clintoni Laing said he discussed principles from the ethical lawyer with his mentor and reaffirmed his commitment to canon I.

“An attorney shall maintain the honour and dignity of the profession and shall not bring the profession into any disrepute,” he said.

Another student, Carell Ramsey, described the experience as “wonderful”, noting that the attorneys were welcoming and understood “the challenges students face”.

Dr Shazeeda Ali, dean of the Faculty of Law at UWI, Mona, said many students excel academically, but are not yet prepared for the pressures of practice. “Having a mentor to turn to for advice is critical to one’s development as an attorney,” she said, calling the initiative a “vital bridge” between the LLB and the demands of the bar.