Introducing the Vice President

Could you firstly write a few paragraphs about your personal life and family, and a brief synopsis of your professional life.

I was born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia where my whole family still lives. I left Zambia in 2003 to do A-Levels at Tresham College in Kettering. I graduated with a 2:1 Law Degree at De Montfort University in 2008 and did my post graduate Diploma or LPC at Nottingham Trent University in 2009. Throughout my studies I was working part time at Booker Cash and Carry in Kettering because I had to pay my own rent and have money for other essentials. Like many others, I also had to commute to classes and leave early most times just so I could catch the train back to Kettering and get to work on time. I believe those years shaped me into the person that I am today and taught me never to take anything for granted and the value in having the right mentality in every job no matter what it is will is important. I have carried that same work ethic throughout my journey here and I still possess that today.

I have been married to my lovely wife, Tamsin, since 2009 and I became a British Citizen in 2014. I have worked in finance, Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence and also Residential Property in my various stints first at a finance company in Birmingham, at what is now known as Shakespeare Martineau in Leicester and I ended up doing my Training Contract at a High Street Firm in Northampton called DW Solicitors. I was then added to the Roll on 1st April 2016 which is probably my proudest moment. I continued working at DW Solicitors until 2018 when I joined Shoosmiths where I am an Associate Solicitor in their Conveyancing Department at the Lakes here in Northampton. The job is very demanding and quite challenging at times but also very rewarding in that I get a lot of satisfaction helping people sell their homes and settle into their new ones.

I have been a Northamptonshire Law Society Council member for a couple of years now and I had the pleasure of being voted Vice President effective from July which is a big deal for me for so many reasons. I am the first black VP in the society’s history and I will become the first black President when the honourable Mr Jabeer Miah vacates the seat in a couple of years’ time. The President and I have a vision of which direction the society should take and I will be helping him along his journey as President together with all the other Council members. We have challenging times ahead as a society but we will face those challenges head on in our quest to making it a more diverse, inclusive and better society for all people working in this legal profession we all depend on.

If you had your time again, would you still become a lawyer? If not, why not? What would the alternative career choice have been?

I wish I had the brains to become an engineer or history scholar because I loved history in High School. Becoming a lawyer was always the dream though.

Best day as a lawyer

The day I joined the roll and became a Solicitor. I’ve had many other great experiences since.

Worst day as a lawyer

The day I received a complaint letter from a client stating that the Legal Ombudsman would be involved.

Favourite book

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol

Favourite film/TV series

Friends

Desert Island Discs... What would be your luxury item?

A device with unlimited battery that I can listen to my sportify playlist on

If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?