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Deale Lee is an Attorney and Independent Senator from St Lucia who loves practising law and loves his family. He is passionate about the rule of law and how he can work for the benefit of his country and people. A real man of the Caribbean, he admires those from the region who often punch above their weight, hoping that he too can leave such a legacy.  

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My family is very close knit. As a child, my grandmother, aunts and cousins all lived within a mile of our house, so my childhood was filled with family gatherings and activities. My grandmother had a variety of fruit trees and plants around her house, although she lived close to the city. Visiting her was like going to the countryside. We, my sibling and cousins, often ate our bellies full of mangoes, ackees, cherries, tamarind, plums and whatever fruit was in season. To this day, these are some of the memories I cherish. The tight bonds that I had with my family as a child, continued into adulthood. I can safely say that my closest friends are members of my family.

“It underpins our society and touches almost every aspect of life”

From a very early age, law and the various facets of it, intrigued me. After a short period in primary school wanting to be a scientist or an author, my interest and attraction to the law continued to grow.

What can I say? The profession simply fascinated me. I enjoyed research and debating, some of the essential elements to be a successful litigator. I also value the independence and flexibility that comes with the profession.

Not to appear too philosophical but I was also attracted by the fact that the rule of law underpins our society and therefore the legal profession touches almost every aspect of life.   Currently, I am primarily a litigator practising before the High Court, Commercial Court and the Court of Appeal. Initially, it was litigation that really captivated me but I have grown to enjoy other aspects of the profession, such as opinion writing and drafting commercial agreements. While I do not have a favourite, I am passionate about commercial and public law. Commercial law, because it is often complex and endlessly variable. Public law is also complex and endlessly variable, but with the added element of constitutional significance. Public law matters often impact our rights and by extension, our daily lives.

Thus far, I have had some memorable experiences in my career. Very early, I was fortunate to work with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the Cricket World Cup 2007. As an avid cricket fan, it was a chance of a lifetime to be directly involved in a premier international sporting event. Saint Lucia was one of the few LOCs to have a lawyer on staff so I also had to provide legal assistance to many of the other LOCs and was even appointed secretary to the committee of CEOs.

While working with the Cricket World Cup, I was exposed not only to the legal side but also the commercial and administrative aspects. Throughout my career, I have also been involved in several high-profile matters, particularly when I worked with the Attorney General’s chambers in Saint Lucia.

One notable experience was being part of the team that appeared in the AG’s Reference which determined whether Saint Lucia needed a referendum to delink from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

“How we benefit other people”

I have come to realise that the biggest impact we can have, comes from how we benefit other people. As such, I am inspired to assist others. I try to volunteer when and as much as I can, be a positive example and offer encouragement and positive energy to persons I interact with.

I am inspired by people from various walks of life. Professionally, one of my earliest inspirations was Justice Suzie D’Auvergne; a pioneering Saint Lucian judge of formidable, almost fearsome reputation, who was also tremendously kind and empathetic. She achieved many “firsts” in the legal profession in Saint Lucia, yet she remained humble.

My primary mentor, however, has been Justice Georgis Taylor-Alexander, current High Court Judge in Saint Lucia. She has been a source of guidance and counsel even before I started studying law and she has always encouraged me to accept new challenges and have faith in myself.

Outside of the profession, my parents taught me the value of hard work and sacrifice. I have also admired Ronald “Boo” Hinkson, famed jazz musician and prodigy, who, despite his international fame, commits his time and resources to assisting inner city youth and is actively involved in crime reduction initiatives.

“Someone who worked for the benefit of his country and its people”

As an independent senator in the Saint Lucia Parliament, my aim is to tangibly contribute to improved governance in Saint Lucia, by presenting unbiased and non-partisan discussion on the bills and motions before the Senate. This role also affords me the latitude to highlight the need for transparency in the operations of government. I am a firm believer that disclosure and transparency are essential for the development of improved policies and increased accountability. The more information available in the public space, the better our administrations will be.

At the end of my tenure as a senator, I hope to be remembered as someone who worked for the benefit of his country and its people. Someone who was fearless in expressing opinions which I believe were for the overall improvement of Saint Lucia.

Looking further into the future, in ten years, I will like to have a prosperous and successful practice that spans the Caribbean. Alternatively, if given the opportunity, I would like to serve on the Bench.

“I am a Caribbean man by inclination, experience and dare I say training.”

Having lived and studied in Barbados and Trinidad, I have been immersed in Caribbean culture. I have fond memories of watching cricket at Kensington Oval, eating bake and shark at Maracas Beach, enjoying escovitch fish at Hellshire Beach in Jamaica, and bathing in Ti Tout Gorge. These are just some of the experiences I have had in the region, one which is incomparably rich culturally.

My hope is that we become more unified as a region because that is the only way for us to achieve our full potential. We have produced three Nobel laureates, leaders in academia, the arts, culture and business. We have had an outsized influence on the world but  we need to develop the confidence in our ability. Our future successes require it.

I hope that we also realise that we do not have to migrate permanently. If one must travel and reside outside the region temporarily to have wider and richer experiences, I agree that there is value in that but contributing to the development of our region, requires our region’s best.

“Just do it!”

As I look back on all that I have accomplished and my desire to contribute even more, I have realised that the time spent as a teenager, worrying and overthinking, was not worth it.

If I could speak to my teenage self, I would tell him, “Don’t worry about it, just do it!”

I tend to overthink things and overestimate what is required to be successful in a particular endeavour. Over time, however, I have learnt that the most successful people are not always inherently smarter or capable. They are simply willing to try things and be adaptable.

So, to the teenager who is reading this with the desire to study law, note that now, the profession is a lot more varied so there are many opportunities within the field for you to be productive and successful. Law also opens avenues to other professions therefore you are not limited to practising before the courts or even the active practice of law.

However, always remember the statement “the law is a jealous mistress”. This is not an empty expression. Once you are willing to commit the time and effort necessary, you will succeed.

Now, to the teenager who is in secondary school or probably just completed a degree and may still be confused about his career path, I want you to know that the point of education is not to prepare you for a particular profession. It is to teach you how to learn and stimulate your curiosity. So, expose yourself to all the positive experiences that are available. Develop passions because to be successful, you must be passionate. It is also important to know that while it is good to have a plan and know where you want to go, to be successful you have to be flexible and learn from your mistakes. Trust me, I have learnt more from my failures than from my successes.

–Deale Lee is married and stays fit by chasing after his son.