Dr Velma Brown-Hamilton: A passion for the law

“CHOOSE a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This quote by ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius aptly describes Dr Velma Brown-Hamilton, a Westwood past student who is living her childhood dream of being a lawyer with her very own practice — Caribbean Legal Suites — where she’s managing partner.

She also does legal training through Law College of the Caribbean, and there is also Centennial Legis Solutions, where Dr Brown-Hamilton provides legal process outsourcing. She also holds the office of president for the Law College of the Americas in Jamaica.

“I love life, and whatever I do I love it and my heart must be in it,” she shared.

“There is no point in being in a rut, and unfortunately, there are some people who are in one without realising it. We need to do more than just liking our job, we need to love it!”

Born in Kingston, Dr Brown-Hamilton lived with both parents up until age eight when they separated, after which she was sent to live with her aunt in the rural district of Sherwood Content in Trelawny. She said that her upbringing in a small community developed her self-worth, imbued her with sound moral values, a strong work ethic, and a positive attitude. She also learnt the meaning of compassion and sacrifice.

“Though [accustomed to a] simple lifestyle, the residents of Sherwood Content always gave of what they had,” Dr Brown-Hamilton said, noting that material things are never as important as the building of one’s character.

These values and important lessons learnt from her childhood have remained with Dr Brown-Hamilton. Despite her busy legal career, she finds time to give back through her charity Children Upliftment and Restoration Foundation (C.U.R.E). Focused on teen development and motivation, this foundation hosts an annual conference which caters to almost 2,000 students.

Looking back at her earlier years, Dr Brown-Hamilton credits her alma mater Westwood High School for an ‘amazing’ academic and social experience, which always inspired her to believe in herself. She recounts how helpful her teachers were, always going the extra mile.

“I was also very driven and focused, because there was always someone encouraging me and people believing in me,” she said.

She was always interested in the law, even after a foray into teaching.

After completing a teaching diploma at Mico, Dr Brown-Hamilton would juggle teaching at Campion while pursuing her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. She then attended the UWI Cave Hill campus in Barbados to pursue a law degree, and then obtained the Certificate of Legal Education at the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica.

She is living proof that education is a viable means of upward social mobility. She holds an MSc in government & international relations, a PhD in business administration from Washington International University, and post-graduate certification in negotiation from Oxford University in the UK.

“I believe in learning. Learning broadens your horizons so much; it widens your perspective, giving you a different view of the world and the people around you. It can also cause you to be humble, because as a life-long student you also realise how little you truly know,” she remarked.

As she maintained steady progress in the legal field, Dr Brown-Hamilton made sure to carry on her civic duties, serving as the first female president of the Rotary Club of downtown Kingston, as well as president of the Breakfast Optimist Club of Kingston. A natural achiever and leader, Dr Brown-Hamilton also served as a resident magistrate in the parishes of Clarendon and St Andrew.

As she kept building her business, Dr Brown-Hamilton noted that “capital and financing can be a challenge” – as occurs with most small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – but shared that her experience with Sagicor Bank has been very productive.

“At Sagicor, there are able bankers who are more than willing to work with you as someone in the SME sector, not only [lending you] their money, but also sharing their expertise and making relevant connections on your behalf,” she said.

She added that Sagicor does not wait for its clients to reach out to them, they show up and serve their clients without hesitation.

Dr Brown-Hamilton firmly believes in the importance of work-life balance and makes it a priority to spend time with her two children – Tiffany, 16, and Trevor, 12, as well as engaging in leisurely activities such as tending her garden.

“You have to put your priorities in the right order…family is first,” she said. She reiterates that her children take absolute first priority, and the life they share together is most precious.

Similarly, she ensures that her clients are treated well, and that her service to them goes above and beyond their expectations.