A former barmaid spoke of the countless hours she spent working and studying to reach her dream of becoming a lawyer.

Julica Harvey, 31, was surrounded by family and friends as she was Called to the Bar yesterday — and managed to stick by her rule not to cry.

Ms Harvey, who is now a barrister and attorney at Canterbury Law, said: “This day has been a long time coming and it is an extremely surreal moment.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I have a mind of my own.

“The most valuable lesson I’ve learnt is that no one can determine where you end up in life except you.”

Speaking of her journey, she added: “It wasn’t easy, it really wasn’t. Working countless hours to make money for school, food and accommodation. Worrying about money and school. Missing out on the fun I saw my peers having every weekend while I bartended at Coco Reef telling myself, ‘Jules, remember why you are here. Now stop sulking and go and make yourself a virgin Piña Colada’.

“Those days are far behind me. Nonetheless, I can still make a good drink.”

Ms Harvey, of Southampton, has two bachelor degrees: one in criminology from the University of Western Ontario which she gained in 2012, and another in law from the University of Law in Britain in 2015.

She interned with Wakefield Quin and was awarded the Wakefield Quin Scholarship Committee’s Legal Scholarship Award in 2016.

She studied the Legal Practice Certificate and a masters in Law at the University of Law, which she completed in 2017.

She has been working for Canterbury Law since 2018 as a law pupil under director Paul Harshaw.

Richard Horseman, director at Wakefield Quin, said: “She will be kind but strong and that will serve her well.”