{"id":276155,"date":"2021-10-26T09:19:21","date_gmt":"2021-10-26T13:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=276155"},"modified":"2021-10-26T12:55:01","modified_gmt":"2021-10-26T16:55:01","slug":"layous-first-attorney-to-assist-underprivileged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/layous-first-attorney-to-assist-underprivileged\/","title":{"rendered":"Layou\u2019s first attorney to assist underprivileged"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Marie Louise Pierre-Louis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The fishing community of Layou can now boast of having it\u2019s very first attorney as \u00a0Marie Louise Pierre-Louis is the newest addition to Dominica\u2019s legal fraternity.<\/p>\n

Pierre-Louis, who was called to the bar on October 22, 2021, \u00a0says that at the head of her agenda is the provision of legal services to the less fortunate in Dominica.<\/p>\n

In the presence of a few colleagues and family members, the 37-year-old was the first Dominican student from the Hugh Wooding Law School to be admitted to the Bar virtually, in Dominica.<\/p>\n

The Petition to have Pierre-Louis admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the Commonwealth of Dominica was put forward by attorney-at-law Lennox Lawrence of Platinum Chambers and Dawn Yearwood of Dawn Yearwood Chambers, before High Court Judge Madame Justice Bernie Stephenson.<\/p>\n

In her first address to the court, Pierre-Louis pledged\u00a0 her commitment to undertake a role towards the enhancement of her community and the nation by extension.<\/p>\n

She vowed to\u00a0 uphold the rule of law and her ethical obligation to the court, counsel and clients while\u00a0 serving with integrity and dignity. She pledged to maintain the level of integrity which the legal profession demands and not to bring her reputation and that of the court into dispute.<\/p>\n

According to Pierre-Louis, this achievement was a dream forged in her heart as a little girl, \u201cfrom the time I realized that I did not like mathematics,\u201d she jokingly stated.<\/p>\n

She said though the journey has been rewarding, it was not without its challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were many hiccups and delays along the way, but I never gave up on my dream. When I left to go and study, I did not see the end; I only saw where I was standing at the time, but I had faith in God, and He that started a good work in me, will see it to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

She had a message of encouragement for the young girls, urging them to \u201cdream big\u201d and to not give up on their dreams.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho would have thought that this little girl from Layou, from humble beginnings, could have been up here today addressing this Honourable court? It was a dream and there is no expiration date on your dream and there is nothing like starting late; there is only starting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pierre-Louis thanked her parents Waddy Pierre-Louis and Crescentia Angol, her siblings, family, close friends and colleagues\u00a0 whose support she said has been invaluable.<\/p>\n

She also thanked the Government of Dominica, particularly the Prime Minister, for their financial support during her educational journey.<\/p>\n

Justice Stephenson, in a statement, told the newly admitted attorney, that er she has joined a very demanding profession and encouraged her to promote and advance the rule of law and act in a timely manner whilst being professional and ethical.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt all times put God first.\u00a0\u00a0 Serve with dignity, civility and respect is what is expected from a lawyer.\u00a0\u00a0 What you say and what you sign guarantees trust, for you are now an officer of this court.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new attorney told Dominica News Online (DNO) that her area of focus for now will be civil law and in the future she may venture into criminal law.<\/p>\n

Pierre-Louis is a former student of the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School (ITSS). During her legal studies she earned a spot on the Principal Roll of Honour. She is pursuing a Masters Degree in Legislative Drafting at the UWI Cavehill Campus.<\/p>\n