A former archaeologist has fully embraced her career switch into law after being called to the Bermuda Bar yesterday.

Meshellae Valerie-Ann Payne, 31, joined the legal community after a ceremony packed with friends, family and coworkers.

Ms Payne said that the ceremony kicked off a “wondrous April” as she prepared for her wedding next Saturday.

She added: “It feels very wild but it feels right. It feels like it’s the culmination of me kind of starting my whole life.

“Everything’s just coming together in a beautiful way and it’s just feels like my life is coming into place and I’m actualising who I’m meant to be.”

Ms Payne’s Call to the Bar was overseen by Chief Justice Larry Mussenden and attended by Kim Wilkerson, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

Ms Payne graduated from the University of Southampton in November 2017 with a bachelor of science degree in archaeology.

She went on to do a master’s degree in principles of conservation and then began working at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

However, Ms Payne did not feel as engaged as she thought she would be, despite years in the archaeology field.

She said: “When I actually started to work in the field, I realised that it was kind of stealing a bit of my joy of it. I kind of realised that I needed to just have that as my hobby rather than as my actual career.

“After talking with Mr [Roderick] Attride-Stirling, I kind of realised that with law I would be able to use all the same skills — I would still be able to research, I would still be able to dive deep into old texts and go to the archives.

“All of those different aspects that I love the most about my work in archaeology and conservation I would still be able to do that in law, but with more stakes.”

Ms Payne started as a paralegal at ASW Law and jumped directly into completing a graduate foundation of law degree at the London College of Law.

She then went on to start her pupillage, where she helped her pupil master, Mr Attride-Stirling.

Ms Payne said that her ability to submerge herself in a task, mull over fine details and approach problems methodically helped her in her training.

She added: “It has been extremely fulfilling to find a career that allows me to exercise those skills.”

Mr Attride-Stirling said that his pupil, who he met through her mother, was someone with “exceptional brilliance” and kindness.

He added: “She treats the law as an archaeological site, combing through the sands of jurisprudence, dusting off the old law books and making something ugly beautiful.

“Her mum thought at one point that I hired her daughter as a favour to her, not understanding that it was she who was doing me a favour in introducing me to this brilliant young woman.

“My firm is very, very happy to have her and we are delighted that she’s chosen to join us.”