Lawyer Giselle wants to sing

These were the words of 24-year-old lawyer, Giselle Thomson-Lowe, who after being awarded a series of scholarships and special awards, will be called to the Bar of the Law Society of England and Wales on October 12. Along with nine of her academically exceptional peers, Giselle, was recently invited for a visit to the House of Lords. She was also given a personal invitation by Lord Justice Keene for a week at the London Court of Appeal.

Giselle was born in England to a Jamaican father and Trinidadian mother. She left at age seven and became officially Trini.

Regarding her motivation to become a lawyer, she explained, “I left Trinidad at 19 with the intention of doing law. It’s really simple but difficult to explain. I just felt it instinctively that I would be a lawyer since about age 13 and I have managed to combine that passion with my love of music and the arts through intellectual property law. I found that after I did my final year LLB (Bachelor of Laws) I began to see the field in a whole new manner. I found intellectual property, it gave me an edge and the year that I spent studying the area helped me to see exactly where I wanted to go.”

The young attorney did not have the easiest of times while overseas but thinks that it was more than worth it. “The funny thing is that I am a strong believer that all that happens is for a specific purpose so I have no regrets. What was really difficult while I was in England was financially balancing things, the difficulties did not really come through the work in itself. I had to work as well as study and at times it got really tough.” UK-based publication, the Sunday Times recently displayed Giselle’s name as one of the brightest young lawyers in England. Giselle was awarded three separate scholarships and two special awards as a result of her diligence and academic success at University College London and Universit?? de Panth??on-Assas in Paris. These included the Mark Hodgson Prize and the Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Scholarship.

Giselle’s success was built on a foundation laid right here in Trinidad under the watchful eye of her mother. “I went to Blackman’s, then Tranquillity until form three, then on to St Joseph’s Convent Port-of-Spain,” explained the young attorney.

“I have had legal experience working with a solicitors’ firm for the last five years. I did work for barristers (lawyers who argue cases before a British court) in the preparation of trials and so on.” Success such as this would be the experience of few and only if they could focus all their attention on their career pursuits. Giselle was able to attain these accolades in spite of her constant involvement in several co-curricular and recreational activities.

The well-rounded Giselle explained, “I have always loved music and singing. While at university I was always a choir member and loved drama. I also played football during my school years. I was actually the choir captain while at St Joseph ’s Convent and during that time we participated successfully in many competitions.”

The list of activities doesn’t end there because apart from being a tap and modern jazz dancer Giselle was also a prefect and a peer tutor in French and Spanish. She was an active member of the Afro-Caribbean Society of her university and taught singing and song writing at workshops for teens in London.

“All these things keep me sane,” added Giselle with a laugh.

“I write a lot, music and poetry , I’m actually in the middle of directing the play of the inner temple drama society.”

Giselle continued, “I want to sing, and I’m serious when I say that Mariah Carey taught me to sing. I grew up on Michael Jackson but when I got her first album I put it on every day and I would imitate every nuance and inflection of her vocals. I can imitate her but I have my own style. She’s one person who sticks out to me in terms of musical versatility.”

She is carded to sing a solo at the Inner, Temple guest night in a few weeks time.

Although based in England the multi-talented young woman declared her loyalty to her Trini roots by saying, “I have a great sense of identity being educated here in this beautiful place, I don’t try to fit in and pretend to be someone else while over there. I have been very blessed and humbled by my successes, without God in my life I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I have and believe me when I say that it hasn’t been easy.” With regard to a possible return to Trinidad she said, “Coming back to be a judge would be great from that position you can really make a difference in the law.”

There is no doubt that Giselle can achieve whatever she aspires to.