As a young girl, I have had great admiration for lawyers. There was and to some extent still is, an inexplicable awe about lawyers. Perhaps, it is their ability to study complex theories and make them seem simple. Or perhaps it is the way they carry themselves as they walk, always firm and upright, or their knowledge, however little, in just about everything. It is a common adage that he who knows the law knows a bit of everything. With all of these many attributes, it is impossible to not admire a lawyer and there was nothing I wanted more as a girl, than to be one. As one continues to grow and learn, a lot of things change. Something else has drawn me close to the law. To be a lawyer I have learnt, requires a lot from an individual. It took all of my time and energy to obtain my law degree and the journey is still not over. There lies other challenges just awaiting me. Law school has carved a notoriety for itself for being a difficult hurdle to cross. The Bar exam is regarded as perhaps the most difficult in the world. Preparation for it demands a lot of time and energy; hours on end of research and studying. And even that is not the end of the road. Pupilage lies waiting. Like the Sierra Leone Law School, pupillage is said to be a daunting experience.
In order to face all of these many hurdles each one promising to be just as tedious if not more tedious than its previous, a law student must have the most powerful weapon they can find: their PASSION. The love of a fancy wig and gown, or they eyes that follow you everywhere as soon as you step out in a collaret is not sufficient to hold on to as you pass many long hours mostly alone studying for a criminal law exam. You need something more- something to make it all worth it. Something to drag you out of bed early in the morning to make it on time for the Law of Tort class at eight in the morning on Saturdays. Something to refer to when your stomach asks the reason why you still have not sent it food but you can’t leave because you don’t want to miss a minute of Jurisprudence class; usually scheduled for 2-3 hours but always lasts 3-4. You need to convince yourself that you in fact do not feel pain, hence the reason you must continue studying even when your whole being and soul beg you to stop. Something strong. Something important. That thing is your passion for the law.
For me, one must be completely in love with the law, if they truly want to be a LAWYER.
About the Guest Blogger:
Ayesha Munu (Ms.) is a law graduate from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. She was the Secretary- General of the Fourah Bay College Students’ Union and is currently an intern at the Marrah and Associates Law Firm.