KINGSTON, Jamaica — President of the Court of Appeal,  Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, has underscored that integrity and service, not merely academic excellence, must form the foundation of every aspiring attorney’s career.

Speaking at the Norman Manley Law School’s Dining and Mentorship initiative, Justice McDonald-Bishop stressed that the legal profession is built on fundamental standards that go beyond examinations and intellectual achievement.

“The legal profession itself is built on certain fundamental standards,” she said. “At the base is integrity. You have to be someone ethical, morally upright and committed to wholesome practices.”

She noted that while ethics are formally taught at law school, values must be deeply internalised.

According to the senior jurist, the practice of law is fundamentally about service.

“To be a lawyer, your fundamental value should be one of service, service to humanity,” she explained. “It is not about the profession in and of itself, but the public you are called upon to serve.”

Justice McDonald-Bishop said new lawyers carry a responsibility to uphold the ethics and values of the profession because the public depends on them for guidance, protection and justice.

Addressing what she described as “ethical graces,” the Appeal Court president said professional formation involves more than academic success.

“It’s not only about being bright or achieving your academic goals,” she said. “There is what Justice Small referred to as the hidden curriculum, the soft skills, the values that make you the whole person and the whole professional.”

These attributes, she noted, are critical to both studies and long-term development in the legal field.

Justice McDonald-Bishop emphasised that mentorship must be intentional and value-driven.

“It’s not just about mentoring, it’s about getting good mentorship,” she said. “You must connect yourself with someone who reflects the values required to be a good and upright attorney-at-law.”

She advised students to choose mentors whose conduct commands respect and whose words carry weight.

“Your word and your reputation are your wealth,” she said. “Mentorship is about guidance not just in winning cases but in maintaining balance, protecting those you serve, and upholding the administration of justice.”

While she described the responsibility of legal practice as an “onerous burden,” she said it is one that can be carried successfully when grounded in the proper values.

Justice McDonald-Bishop said attending the mentorship dinner was personally meaningful.

A strong proponent of structured mentorship, she reflected on her own participation in international judicial peer-to-peer mentorship programmes, describing them as mutually enriching.

“It was very humbling to sit with the students and hear of their experiences,” she said, noting that their struggles reminded her of her own early years in the profession.

From her vantage point on the bench, she said she remains conscious that younger attorneys and interns are always observing senior counsel and judges in court.

“It is a noble profession or it ought to be,” she added. “We have to hold each other up. No one is an island. Each of us is supposed to be our brother’s keeper.”

She commended the vision behind the structured mentorship programme and expressed optimism about its future impact.

“I look forward to greater things,” she said, adding that initiatives like these create the opportunity for the profession to intentionally nurture the next generation of ethical, service-driven attorneys.