A woman who hails from a long line of lawyers has become the latest in her family to be Called to the Bermuda Bar.

Celine Collis, 31, was welcomed into Bermuda’s legal community yesterday, with her father, Graham, helping to introduce her during her ceremony.

Ms Collis said: “Now, returning to Bermuda, I look forward to the opportunity to give back to the island’s wonderful community — the community that made me who I am today.”

Her Call to the Bar ceremony was held in the Supreme Court and was attended by more than 30 family members, friends and co-workers.

Ms Collis, from Pembroke, comes from a long line of lawyers, including her father, grandfather, uncles, aunts, cousins and in-laws.

She attended the Bermuda High School for Girls before completing her high school education in Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

Ms Collis received her Bachelor of Arts at Trinity College in Toronto, Canada, where she double majored in conservation biology and biodiversity alongside ethics, society and law.

She then became an Oxford scholar and completed her master's degree with distinction at the university for her thesis on treasure laws in Bermuda.

Ms Collis took a gap year afterwards to tag sharks around the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia before she moved to England.

She received her law degrees with distinction at the University of Law there.

Ms Collis began working at Reed Smith LLP in London, where she worked as a finance specialist.

She also led a team of more than 40 lawyers in a Lawyers Without Borders programme.

Her group advised on the creation of environmental crime legislation in the Congo Basin, reviewed child labour laws and tackled problems such as human trafficking and gender-based violence.

Ms Collins called her human rights work “one of the great aspects of this profession”.

She added: “There is something special about using the years of studying and training in the legal field to support worthwhile causes through legal advice.”

After working at Reed Smith for four years, Ms Collis moved back to Bermuda this year to work at Conyers.

Sophia Greaves, the head of insurance at Conyers, said Ms Collis was “an individual of outstanding character” and displayed a “passion for pro bono work”.

She added: “During her time with us, Celine has made quite the impression. She has all the markings of a talented lawyer.

“While Celine has much to be proud of in terms of her family history and has deep connection to the Bermuda legal profession, I expect that she will blaze her own unique trail in the future.”

Her father congratulated his daughter and her accomplishments as he stood before Chief Justice Larry Mussenden.

He told the court: “She is smart, she is affable, she is dedicated, hard-working, diligent, and probably most of all, caring.

“I am sure she will be a worthy addition to the Bermuda Bar and the island’s legal community.”