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"Years of study involving cramming precedents and wading through legislation, collecting friends and “contacts”, and spending hours in libraries and pubs alike, made student life seem endless. It was a welcoming realization that after all that it took just one hour, in eminent ceremony at the Supreme Court of New South Wales, to mark the official beginning of my journey as a solicitor. (Yet the cramming, wading and hours in strangely lit buildings is likely to continue).
People tend to raise their eyebrows in awe (or is it pity?) when you say that you are studying law or that you are a lawyer. It has always amused me, but in all honesty, it’s not as painful as others may believe. Like any other ambition in life, it has required hard work, commitment and passion. Of the three, passion is naturally the easiest to cultivate – you either have it or you don’t. I cannot pinpoint when I first knew I wanted to be a lawyer, but I do know that from early childhood, with my father as my original role model, concepts such as fairness, equality and justice were sacrosanct. From the way I treated my siblings to the way I behaved around strangers, I was often spokesperson or arbitrator, judge or jury. And yes, even a loud-mouth know-it-all.
The diversity of legal work and the assortment of clients almost guarantee that even in a specialized field, a lawyer is not pigeonholed in boring routine as the range of cases is boundless. People are never short of problems and when they turn to you for advice you take on the responsibility of doing what’s best for the client while upholding the integrity of the legal system. Being a part of such a system is gratifying on many levels.
Passion in tow, hard work and commitment keep me going on my mission. Work ethics drummed into me the Tanzanian way and through education have kept me focused and driven. Whilst taking my oath at the admission ceremony, I realized that hard work does indeed pay off, yet the road winds ahead much farther. Australia can be a land of opportunity if you are willing to seek channels that can get you to where you want to go. It’s not simply a matter of getting a degree and for some it may require more door-knocking than for others. Fundamentally, you have to get out there believing that you can make it happen for yourself and not give up when the going gets tough.
As a Tanzanian who has lived in several countries around the world, my personal history and exposure to different cultures has had a lot of influence on the values I uphold and the kind of law I want to practise. To me, a career in law is an opportunity for me to give something back to the community at large, which in this day and age stretches from my backyard right across oceans and borders. I acknowledge the duty and privilege of the position I am in and aim to uphold my professional and social responsibilities, all the while aware that in small or major ways, I too can make a difference.
Needless to say that I’ve needed and had a cheering-squad to see me this far, so a final word of thanks to: My parents who are the finest example I have of hard work and commitment taking you places. My siblings who continue to be pillars of strength even as oceans divide us. Friends around the globe, and new friends in NSW, who have been there to encourage and celebrate with gusto. And of course, the one person who is forced to hear blow-by-blow accounts of the day in the life of a young lawyer! To all of you, asanteni sana". |
