E’bo girl admitted to the bar, plans to use skills to empower others – News Room Guyana

Begum Somyah Baksh is Guyana’s newest attorney, following her admission to the local bar on Monday.

Baksh, who hails from Sparta, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, said she is passionate about helping people, especially those without the means to access justice on their own.

Baksh attended the Anna Regina Secondary (Multilateral) School where she sat 17 subjects, and achieved 13 Grade Ones and 4 Grade Twos. But unsure of a career path to serve her passions, she applied for roles in business.

At just 18, she left her Essequibo home, leaving close family and friends to work in Georgetown. Her first role was at the Ministry of Education, where she met the then subject minister Priya Manickchand, who is also an attorney.

Baksh said her work at the ministry took her across the country, where she saw first-hand the need for attorneys who could provide meaningful support to people.

Driven by her passion and determination, and encouraged by Manickchand and her family, Baksh earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Guyana in 2024.

She subsequently secured a place at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago and has since returned home, to gain the expertise needed to make a difference in the lives of others.

“We don’t have a lot of lawyers over there, during my time growing up there I don’t think we had any, a lot of people had to take boats to come to the city just to speak to a lawyer,” she said.

Baksh said she plans to focus primarily on corporate, family and commercial law, while eventually taking on cases on a pro-bono basis.

“I do want to give back to my community,” she said.

Her passion for helping and uplifting others was also reflected during her time at Hugh Wooding Law School, where she served as President of the Guyana Jurisdictional Committee, representing the interests of Guyanese students.

As a child, Baksh was an avid reader, a habit she said further developed her passion for public speaking. One book that left a lasting impression on her was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. She said the courage and determination displayed by the character Atticus Finch in defending Tom Robinson inspired her.

Baksh credited Minister Manickchand, Attorney General Mohabir Anil Nandlall, attorneys Sanjeev Datadin and C. V. Satram, the First Vice President of the Guyana Bar Association Kamal Ramkarran, as well as her grandparents, aunts, siblings Begum Shafrana Baksh and Mohamed Ahmed Baksh, and her mother Nanda Baksh, for supporting her throughout her journey.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE