Evelyn N. Kungu celebrates a year since she got admitted to the role of an advocate in Kenya and graduated from QMUL.
Evelyn N. Kungu (International Dispute Resolution LLM, 2023, and Advocate of the High Court of Kenya): “Today I celebrate yet another achievement. I have been certified as being eligible to receive an LLM in International Dispute Resolution from Queen Mary University of London. This reminds me of the saying: “When it rains, it pours.”
Just the other day I was reminiscing how it felt to be able to practice law as an advocate/attorney. The feeling of passing the bar exams, the freedom of now being in a position to properly network with all sorts of lawyers without feeling in any way inadequate. The field is quite the ensemble and has such a variety of legal professionals who possess different qualities and from whom I have come to learn a thing or two. As a young lawyer, I have been in the company of senior lawyers who have so much knowledge and mentorship to offer; the not so senior lawyers who are quite the audacious lot have equipped me with fundamental skills such as client relationships, communication and assertiveness that is needed in the practice; the young lawyers who are my peers and whom I interact with regularly are great with research and technical skills.
In this field you become quite the package since you find yourself dealing with all sorts of legal issues and other professionals such as accountants, contractors, logistics, commercial enterprises, lending institutions, ministries, corporate institutions, family units’ and so on. Balancing all this is quite the experience! A good one and very rewarding to be precise.
Another thing about the legal practice that I have come to embrace is the fact that law is broad in spectrum especially when interacting with people from different countries and nationalities who are subject to a different style or custom in delivery of justice (depending on whether they come from a common law or civil law jurisdiction). Be that as it may, law is interesting and its universality can be attributed to the rule of law which lays down a threshold for its promulgation enforcement and adjudication. This in a nutshell means that it’s easy to learn and navigate just by looking at the various statues and instruments that are in practice at a given region in whichever field required at that point in time. I am very much encouraged to be in this field and, looking back at those sleepless nights I spent studying for the Bar I am glad to never have considered giving up. I am delighted that in fact, as I waited, I also went ahead to do an LLM and because of that today I am able to celebrate two great achievements all at once.
I would love to encourage anyone who is on this path to keep going, it gets easier. As it gets easier, it gets busier and then joy sprouts from this because your network and reputation also inevitably expand, as does your knowledge. Indeed, I have come to believe that hard work does bare fruits. Secondly, what I have come to learn is not to be afraid to ask for help, certainly no man is an island. When you ask for help you become better at what you do and a load is taken off your shoulders. If you don’t know something, it’s ok. You can’t know everything. You learn to do that research and ask for help if need be, then come back with answers and solutions like the bombshell that you are.
Lastly, do not let anyone put you down. You, my friend are the crème de la crème, move like you know it, I mean with all that knowledge and expertise why look down on yourself or feel less confident? Evelyn N. Kungu, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and LLM QMUL alumna.”