New lawyer reaches back to her Amerindian ancestry

Nov 22, 2017 News

This young lady has done us proud by being one of nine graduates out of the 218 students to make the honour roll at the Hugh Wooding Law School graduation last October. She is Miriam Angelique Sonu Andrew.
Miss Andrew was proposed for admission by Justice Jainarayan Singh before Justice Diana Insanally, who before admitting her, praised her for her achievements so far and advised that the real learning in practising law has now begun.
Miss Andrew, in her acceptance remarks, promised to serve to the best of her ability and to try to live up to her new title of Attorney at Law.
Miss Andrew, who is of mixed Amerindian (Wapishana) and East Indian descent, is now attached to the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs.
Born and raised in Georgetown, Miriam Andrew is the second daughter in her family. While residing at Regent Street in the heart of the city for most of her life, they were forced to move to the East Coast just before she wrote the pivotal Common Entrance Examinations.
At this new home, she was surrounded by the love and support of her family and kind relatives providing her family of three women at the time, a place to stay. She went on to secure a place at the St. Joseph High School.
Despite facing hardships and losing her job, her mother, the sole breadwinner of the family at the time, being the industrious and resourceful woman she was fought tooth and nail to make ends meet in order to secure a sound education for both of her daughters.
In 2010, Miriam graduated with 11 CSEC passes and continued to pursue her dreams to become an attorney-at-law. She went on to attend the Bishops’ High School where she graduated in 2012 having obtained an Associate Degree in General Studies with 8 CAPE passes.
This led her to the next step of attending the University of Guyana where she obtained her Bachelor of Law, graduating in the year 2015 with a distinction. Being among the top 25 graduates in her class, Miriam was afforded automatic acceptance into the Hugh Wooding Law School.

From left. Madame Justice Diana Insanally, Justice Jainarayan Singh and Miriam Andrew.

The cost of attending Hugh Wooding was quite high and Miriam was uncertain, even with the support of both her parents, if she could have afforded. She reached out to every organization/agency that she could think of to gain the much needed financial assistance.
After writing to several agencies on numerous occasions, Miriam was grateful when she received a response from the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs with the offer of a scholarship to cover the cost of her tuition fees.
As part of her legal training at the Hugh Wooding Law School, Miriam undertook in-service training at Singh & Singh Chambers for ten weeks during the 2016 vacation break. She was exposed to Criminal and Civil matters. She was involved in a rape trial.
There were civil matters including issues of custody, maintenance and access, a trial surrounding a commercial matter, meeting with clients, drafting of wills, among other things.
The dream came the closest to fruition on October 7, 2017 when Miriam Andrew graduated from the HWLS being one of only two Guyanese on the Principal’s Roll of Honour; a privilege awarded to only nine graduating students of 218.
She was awarded the Oswald J Wilson Memorial Prize (Best Performance in Landlord and Tenant – shared with Karina Wiltshire); Phelps & Co. Prize (Best Performance in Civil Procedure and Practice I – shared with Kirsty Roopnarine) and The Cameron & Shepherd Prize (Best Performance in Civil Procedure and Practice I and II by a Guyanese Student)
During her time at the Law School, Miriam co-founded an NGO, The Foundation for the Realization and Elevation of a New Society (FRENS) which focuses on children and persons with disabilities. She currently serves as the president of same.
With her ancestral roots in Sand Creek Village, South Rupununi, Miriam is eager to give back to her country and, in particular, the Indigenous People of Guyana.