A Bermudian law student will embark on a "once in a lifetime" training contract at one of the UK's leading chambers in October – thanks to the legacy of Dame Lois Browne-Evans.

The Pupillage Award was founded by the Bermuda Bar Association in conjunction with Carmelite Chambers in London in the name of Dame Lois, who died in 2007. She was Bermuda's first female lawyer, the first black woman elected to Parliament, the first female Attorney General and the first female leader of the Opposition.

The first-ever recipient, Antoine Lightbourne, 44, will benefit from a one-year training contract as a result, with the opportunity to earn a salary in the second six months. He has also won a $15,000 bursary from the Bar Association.

Carmelite Chambers is one of the largest and longest established in the UK, and its barristers are regularly instructed in high profile criminal cases nationally and internationally. Competition for pupillages is incredibly fierce as a result, with more than 200 applications for each spot.

The reason for the award being set up was that both the Bar Council and Chief Justice Richard Ground want to encourage more Bermudians into criminal law, rather than taking up popular corporate opportunities. Applicants must therefore desire to come back to the Island and work in criminal practice once they've completed their training.

Mr. Lightbourne, of Coral Acres Drive in Southampton, said: "It is truly an honour to have been selected by the Bermuda Bar Association as the first recipient of the Dame Lois Browne-Evans Pupillage Award. I thank the Bar Association and Carmelite Chambers for establishing the Award, which will provide Bermudian lawyers with first class training and exposure in a much larger jurisdiction. I believe that this will be invaluable in ensuring that high standards of practice are maintained in the Bermuda courts."

Mr. Lightbourne previously worked in trust administration at the Bank of Bermuda, where he developed an interest in the law and decided to pursue it as a career. Prior to that, he'd worked at the Bermuda Monetary Authority and in security at the airport.

He told The Royal Gazette: "I received my Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Buckingham in February 2008, and successfully completed the Bar Vocational Course at City Law School in London in July 2009. I was called to the Bar of England and Wales on July 23 2009 at the Middle Temple, which also happened to be my birthday. My parents and sister were in attendance at the Call Ceremony."

And he explained: "I applied for the award because I recognised it as an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of an individual who made a long-lasting contribution to the Bermuda community through her service. Dame Lois was a champion of human rights and her practice in criminal defence law put her in an ideal position to address human rights issues. Its overlap with human rights law is one of the aspects of criminal law that I find most appealing.

"I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that the pupillage at Carmelite Chambers will provide, which should greatly enhance my prospects for a successful career at the Bermuda Bar, as well as my ability to be of service to the community."

Announcing the news, a Bar council press release explained: "Bar Council received permission from the Bar Council of England and Wales in the UK for Carmelite Chambers to be allowed a seventh pupil a Bermudian to obtain training in the UK. Normal practice in the UK is for Chambers to have no more than six pupils at one given time. Receiving permission for a Bermudian to receive training is without a doubt a unique opportunity not readily available to Bermudians."

The selection committee consisted of Chief Justice Richard Ground, defence lawyer Elizabeth Christopher and Rod Attride-Stirling, past President of the Bar Association.

Richard Ferguson QC, Head of Chambers at Carmelite Chambers said "We are delighted to be part of this scheme designed to encourage the growth of expertise at the criminal bar in Bermuda and to foster links between the English and Bermudian bar."

Mr. Justice Ground said: "This is a very important scheme, which will not only be valuable to the individual recipient but will also make a very real and positive contribution to the practice of criminal law in Bermuda. On behalf of the judiciary I would like to express my appreciation to Carmelite Chambers for making this opportunity available, and congratulate the Bermuda Bar Council on their generous support for the successful candidate."

Law students who wish to apply for next year's opportunity can glean full information by visiting the Bar Association website at www.bermudabar.org. The deadline is December 31 2009.