Laing navigating the legal landscape

BY WAZARI JOHNSON

Aristotle once said, “Law is order, and good law is good order.” This sentiment rings true because the law is the foundation of civil society, and when it is upheld, it secures the wellbeing of the stakeholders in a society. That being the case, it is good for every generation that new minds venture into the legal profession with the intent to uphold the law and its principles.  A society can only benefit if it aims to the standard captured in the words of Lydia Maria Child, “Law is not law, if it violates the principles of eternal justice.”

One young lady who is aiming to practice law in harmony with this ideology is Janene Laing. She was born in the picturesque parish of Portland, Jamaica. Her life growing up shaped her for a career in law; the surrounding influences in her childhood sparked an affinity for the legal profession that only increased with time.

When asked what influenced her decision to become a lawyer her response was; “In some ways, it is a proverbial chicken and egg situation, because I am not sure which happened first. Whether others first identified the traits in me (which sparked my interest), or if it was my love for reading, writing and legal dramas drew me to it. I was often told as a child that I was meant to be an Attorney and I really believed it to be true! I loved reading, writing and the church also provided a platform for me to develop my confidence in expressing myself publicly. I never imagined doing anything else. So, in many ways, it seemed like a natural progression.”

She further added, “As a child, my mother nurtured my love for comprehensive reading and writing. For birthdays and holidays, my parents gifted me with mostly books rather than toys. Throughout Primary School and High School I also participated in parish-wide and island wide reading, writing and debating competitions. I also remember submitting my little stories to the Children’s Own and I was eager to purchase them to see if they made it to publication. It was fun when my mother cut out the stories and framed them. So, since the legal profession is so reading intensive, I found it to be a perfect match.”

She has enjoyed an illustrious legal career thus far; she has worked with the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis as their legal advisor and has worked as the Registrar of Companies and the Registrar of Financial Services, overseeing matters involving company registrations and international business companies in Nevis. She has also worked as an Associate in two of Jamaica’s leading law firms and also a Fortune 500 Company as their in-house attorney; this she did for the period of three years.

Janene Laing has garnered a wealth of experience in the legal profession, though some still view her as the “new kid on the block”. She is young but she is no neophyte in matters of maneuvering through the legal landscape. She has been practicing law for ten years. I appreciate her entrepreneurial approach to the legal profession, and this November she will be celebrating six years of operating her own legal practice.  She created the online platform Advocat International as a means of making legal services more accessible in Jamaica, the Caribbean and the wider global village. She has also established an office in Port Antonio, which she operates under her own name, with her sign saying “Janene A. Laing: Attorney at Law.” Janene is elated that she was able to set up her shingle in the capital of her birth Parish. She also recently set up an office in Kingston, which she operates under her name as well.

What more can we anticipate from this promising young attorney? This is what she shared with me, “I do plan to expand my practice. I also intend on taking the New York bar soon and expanding my legal services to that jurisdiction as well.”

For Janene practicing law is not merely about her own progress; she desires to give back to her island home that nurtured her, “I wanted to establish a practice which would be truly reflective of my values and principles, and to do more to give back to my country. I have always felt a strong sense of justice for the oppressed and those who are less fortunate, and effective legal services actually does much to alleviate the issues of Jamaican people. I find that I am required to wear many hats as an Attorney; I have to act as counsellor, mediator and often, the friend of my clients. It provides great fulfilment to be able to do that and I have greater latitude to do so as the owner of my own practice.”

So far, this young lady accomplishes what she sets her mind to, so I expect to see great things from her. I wish Miss Laing all the best on her journey in the legal landscape.