Community Spotlight on Afsana Gibson-Chowdhury; Mediator, Solicitor, Barrister (NP); GC Mediation and Training LTD

 

Can you tell us about your journey into law and where you are now?

I remember telling my teacher during Careers Day in fifth year at school that I wanted to be a lawyer. She laughed so hard that, to this day, I can still hear her cackle. She clearly didn't believe I would ever get there and I never bothered to ask her why. I already knew I was on a mission and I wasn't about to let anyone convince me otherwise. I often heard being a young woman of colour had no place in law but I paid no attention. I made it to university to study law and all I had to do was get the results. I met my husband during the second year of university and we didn’t marry until 5 years later after a short break from education and then eventually completing my Bar Vocational Course. My Call to the Bar was almost 6 months after I passed my examinations. By this time, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. As I was collecting my certificate at Lincoln’s Inn in front of a hall full of future barristers, I knew that my career was over before it had begun. Getting pupillage was difficult in the best of circumstances. Becoming a new mother, I felt, had added another hurdle to an already challenging journey. I quickly changed direction and qualified as a Solicitor, going on to work as a Civil Litigator. And I absolutely loved it! I relished the work, the clients, the challenges and the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives.

However, the British economy was struggling with the aftermath of the 2008 recession. Lord Justice Jackson's 2010 report on civil litigation costs ushered in significant changes to the legal landscape. The reforms that followed affected many lawyers across England and Wales, including me. As a result, in 2012, my husband and I decided to move to Canada.

My young family had grown to three wonderful children and my career in law felt further and further away. While I tried to bring my career back on track, a colleague from a Magic Circle law firm recommended that I attend a mediation with her. Mediation is mandatory in some regions in Ontario, including Toronto, where I lived. Mediation was mandatory for certain civil disputes. Parties were required to attempt mediation before proceeding to trial. I instantly fell in love with the process. It made sense. Motherhood changed me. My perspective on life, conflict and people had evolved. Mediation seemed like the perfect pursuit.

So here I am today. A Barrister, turned Solicitor, turned Mediator.

I love mediation and I think I am pretty good at it. I have had the most career highlights as a mediator including being ranked as one of the world's most experienced commercial mediators by the International Academy of Mediators. I thrive when I have an opportunity to mediate a dispute. Whether I am a Barrister, Solicitor or a Mediator was never the point. I realised this in  my 20 year professional journey. I wanted to be a lawyer because I love working with clients and to help them navigate work through difficult legal battles. My course in how I did that changed but I am exactly where I should be. Now I get to work through complex issues, emotions and facilitate difficult conversations for both parties.

Sometimes life has other plans that you did not expect. But the changes and challenges along the way, fuelled my determination to get to the spaces where I belonged. I am a typical Taurus and I had the wildest bull living inside me to fight the battles along the way. But don’t worry, my exterior has always remained gentle and you’ll never find me in a china shop!

What inspired you to become a lawyer, and who or what supported you along the way?

As a young child, I was always led to believe that becoming a lawyer was a privilege reserved for the elite members of society. And, to some extent, there was some truth to that. Whenever I watched the news or read the papers, it was almost always men's names that appeared as lawyers and legal representatives. I had a cousin who was much older than me and was a prevalent lawyer in the 70’s and 80’s. I loved listening to his stories and the flamboyant ways in which he would tell them. I was only seven and I knew there was nothing else I wanted – I needed to be a lawyer! I wanted to stand before an audience, tell stories, make arguments and have people listen. I wanted to have that same ability to captivate a room.

My father was my biggest fan. He loved that I wanted to become a lawyer and constantly reinforced my belief that I could achieve whatever I set my mind to. Not once did he make me feel that my ambitions were too big or beyond my reach.

I remember when I started my degree, he bought a brand new, extravagant desk that he said was only suitable for a future lawyer. He wanted me to feel like I was someone when I sat at it – and it worked. He took me shopping for my first suit, so when I would turn up to my mooting and debating rounds and university, I would look the part. He would ask me what I learned that day and we could talk for hours if we wanted, discussing boring land law cases. I would tell the stories like my cousin and enjoyed seeing the glint in his eyes.

My parents were not always able to support my education financially; not only because they weren’t in the highest earning category, but also because I was one of six children. As the fifth child, odds of a university fund were stacked against me! My family didn’t enjoy certain privileges because they were an immigrant family. But the best privilege I had and needed was a father that believed that I could do it. It was the most valuable thing I had. Sadly, my father, my biggest fan, past away months before my graduation – and so I never went to my graduation ceremony. It took me three years to get back on track after losing him. I took the Bar, joined the Rolls and did what I knew was in me to make him proud.

What’s one challenge you’ve faced in your legal journey and how did you navigate it?

Although I tried my best to ignore the bias that came with being a woman of colour in the legal profession, the bias never quite ignored me.

Of course, the barriers were there. The bullying, the closed doors, the assumptions about what I could or couldn't achieve. I encountered them all.

But rather than allowing those experiences to pull me down, I turned them into a driving force. I knew I had to work three times as hard to be seen, heard and taken seriously. And, in doing so, I pushed myself towards achievements I might never otherwise have pursued. When you do something new and pioneering, respect eventually follows. I did plenty of that! I suppose that’s the beauty of diversity. The fact that I can bring a new perspective to the table is a great advantage in life and in mediation. I think that is how I navigated it.

What opportunities or experiences have been most valuable to your development so far?

Having a mentor who was invested in my development was one of the most valuable events in my life. I didn’t find my mentor because it was near impossible as a young lawyer! However, as I say, when you do something new, the mentors find you! It may have taken until my forties to finally find a mentor, which might seem odd to most people, but actually, it happened when I most needed it.

I appreciate that my journey has been somewhat unconventional, so my advice to young lawyers is this: don't limit your idea of mentorship to one person or a formal relationship.

Mentorship doesn't always have to come with a title, a structured programme or regular meetings over coffee. It can be far more fluid and organic than the traditional model we have become accustomed to.

Even today, I seek guidance and mentorship from different people, depending on what I want to learn, the challenges I'm facing or the skills I want to develop. Some people offer invaluable career advice, others share their experiences, and sometimes a single conversation can change the way you think about something.

I've also learned that people are often far more willing to help than we imagine. Sometimes, all you have to do is ask.

So don't wait for the perfect mentor to come along. Be curious, build relationships, ask questions and learn from the people around you.

And remember, mentorship isn't something you have to outgrow. No matter how experienced you become, there will always be something to learn from someone else.

What advice would you give to someone who may feel that a career in law is not ‘for people like them’?

A career in law is never easy, no matter who you are or where you come from. We all face our own challenges, but I firmly believe that each of us brings something unique to the profession. We all have something to offer that no one else can, and we all deserve a place at the table.

As long as we have the determination to work hard, face the challenges and keep moving forward, there should be room for everyone in law.

Along the way, we may find ourselves in places where we don't feel we belong, encounter people who make us question our abilities or have experiences we would much rather forget. I've certainly had my fair share!

But I've come to believe that the setbacks, the failures and the difficult moments are often what teach us the most. They help us discover our strengths, challenge our thinking and sometimes push us towards opportunities we might never have considered.

My advice is simple: be clear about what you want, be determined in pursuing it and don't be afraid to do things differently. On a practical level, having good communication skills that help you navigate difficult conversations is invaluable.

You don't always have to follow the traditional path or fit into someone else's idea of what a successful lawyer should look like. Sometimes, the most rewarding opportunities come from stepping outside the box and creating a path of your own.

One piece of advice for Bristol law students or early career lawyers.

I have a daughter who is currently at law school, and one of the best pieces of advice I've given her, which I'm delighted to say she has taken on board, is to start building her network now.

Get out there, meet people, tell them your story and, just as importantly, take the time to listen to theirs. Attend events, introduce yourself and learn to feel comfortable walking into rooms where you may not know a single person. The reality is that being a lawyer isn't just about knowing the law. It's also about understanding people, building relationships and recognising that practising law has a business side to it.

Networking is a skill and it takes practice. The relationships you build early in your career can open doors, create opportunities and lead to friendships and professional connections that last a lifetime. You never know which conversation might change the course of your career.

A skill that matters more than people realise.

Properly training communication and intercultural communication skills!! We are not taught how to listen or communicate at law school, yet our lives depend on it as lawyers and now as a mediator.