Former journalist Daina Casling was called to the Bermuda Bar at the Supreme Court on Friday.

Before studying law, Ms Casling earned a bachelors degree in English and worked for both The Royal Gazette and the Bermuda Broadcasting Company.

She was voted best television journalist but after her experiences of covering the Rebecca Middleton murder trial, she decided to study law.

?This was a difficult time for me and I grappled with the event during my reporting days,? said Ms Casling.

?The face of the that young woman stared out from the pages of the newspaper for so long, but her voice would no longer be heard.

?Later on I would return to this tragedy and for all the different theories of justice, I could not change my view justice had undoubtedly been denied.?

She said her life has been an amazing journey and remembered her days as a junior debater and thought that it was all coming to this life point.

?Today marks the culmination of all my different experiences,? said the young lawyer.

?In boarding school, I learned about balance, there was even more to do there and I learned that handling a large workload, extra curricular activities and sports was no easy feat.

?The experience taught me about organisation and time management, skills that are now invaluable to me in my career.?

Ms Casling is currently carrying out a pupillage in London at Kendall Freeman.

She said she wanted to do it at medium sized firm that would provide her with relevant experience that would prepare her for when she returned to the Island.

She chose DJ Freeman, which is now Kendall Freeman, which specialises in insurance work that had been extensively involved in the BF&M litigation.

?Interviewing there, I believed that I would receive quality training and I was impressed by the high number of women partners,? she said.

?I have not been disappointed with my choice.?

She also spent time at Conyers Dill & Pearman (CD&P) and worked with lawyer David Cooke and also received the company?s scholarship in 1999, which she said was more than just a scholarship.

?They have provided me with invaluable work experience, career guidance and support,? said Ms Casling.

?They too have given me confidence by evidencing their belief in me.?

Attorney General Crown counsel Leighton Rochester welcomed her to the Bar, stating that four women were called to the Bar within the last month.

He said years ago there were so few women called to the Bar, the first being Lois Brown Evans, and then 17 years later there followed another woman.

He pointed out that there are more women than men being called today.

Mr. Cooke said that he knew that Ms Casling was going to be a good lawyer and cited that she had carried out research on an arcane topic and the advice that she had suggested was also advised by a Queen?s Counsel.

Mr. Cooke welcomed her to the Bermuda Bar.

Lawyer Kim White said he was pleased to be able to call her ?my learned friend.?