Rennata A. Nickram Admitted to the Guyana Bar
Rennata A Nickram, a Lethem-born scholar who left Region Nine after Grade Six on a Hinterland Scholarship, was admitted to the Bar of Guyana on Friday before Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln in Court Room 12 of the Supreme Court of Judicature.
From Lethem to the Supreme Court of Judicature
The journey to the Supreme Court spanned nearly a decade of rigorous academic transitions. Nickram topped Region Nine at the 2015 National Grade Six Assessment, which secured her placement at The Bishops’ High School in Georgetown alongside her Hinterland Scholarship. Leaving her family and support network behind, she resided with a guardian in Lamaha Gardens while maintaining ties to Lethem through holiday visits.
Academic discipline defined her secondary and tertiary schooling. She successfully completed all 12 subjects at the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. Following a year studying International Relations at the University of Guyana, she entered the Bachelor of Laws programme in 2021, graduating with her LLB in 2024 before finishing her Legal Education Certificate at the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas.
Her petition before Justice Corbin-Lincoln was formally presented by Attorney-at-Law Sase Gunraj of Gunraj & Co.
Commercial Law Recognition and Future Practice
During her legal studies, Nickram distinguished herself in commercial and financial disciplines. She received the Colin E Callender Q.C. Memorial Prize for Best Performing Student in the Commercial and Financial Services Law Clinic. Her involvement in the STEP Bahamas Moot Competition—her maiden mooting experience, where her group secured victory under the guidance of McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes—was likewise driven by this accolade.
Believed to be the first lawyer in her family, Nickram intends to pivot her professional experience toward addressing the need for greater access to professional services in hinterland communities. Coming from Lethem, she noted that maintaining a connection to her roots remains central to her practice.
“I hope that, as I grow within the profession, I can use my knowledge and experience to serve others and contribute to greater access to legal services within my community,” Nickram stated following her admission.
Addressing Hinterland Service Deficits
Growing up in Lethem allowed Nickram to witness firsthand the difficulties that hinterland inhabitants encounter when trying to obtain professional services. Her parents, Rubeina Khan-Nickram and Kenrick Nickram, expressed pride in her achievement and gratitude for her perseverance through her LLB and Legal Education Certificate milestones.
Addressing youth in Region Nine, Nickram emphasized resilience against geographical and economic barriers.
“I would tell them to work hard, stay focused and make the most of every opportunity that comes their way,” she said. “Don’t let where you come from limit what you believe you can achieve.”
Nickram hopes to eventually return home to establish her own legal practice.