The first law pupil in 2023 to be Called to the Bar said that she did so to follow in her mother’s footsteps.

Aariyen Murray, 25, said yesterday that she could only describe herself as “happy” about this accomplishment after years of hard work.

Ms Murray said: “Finally being here and saying my speech, hearing my legal friend feel about me — words can’t even describe the feeling. I feel very happy.”

Ms Murray, a pupil in Carey Olsen’s corporate team, was welcomed to the Bermuda Bar during a ceremony at the Supreme Court.

She was heard by Puisne Judge Larry Mussenden and was joined by friends, coworkers and extended family.

The court heard that Ms Murray decided to pursue law after her mother, now an underwriter, enrolled in law school.

She later said that she fell in love with the discipline because of its structure and organisation.

Ms Murray added: “I was always an A student in English grammar and literature and I love to read, plus I was enrolled in debate club, so I thought ‘I should do law’.

“Little did I know that it’s completely different from what I did in high school, but it all worked out in the end.”

Ms Murray received her Bachelor of Law degree from Nottingham Trent University in England in 2020.

She finished her legal practice course at the University of Law in Guildford, England the following year.

Ms Murray said that, at the time, she did not have an area of expertise in mind, aiming instead to be “perfect and successful”.

She said that she had a moment of clarity after interning under Chen Foley at Liberty Specialty Markets Agency.

Ms Murray explained: “I was really inspired by him and I thought that he was amazing.

“I loved how he affected people, how people admired and respected him, and I wanted to be like that.”

She added: “Along the way I met some of my friends, and just seeing how passionate they were encouraged me to also want to be like them.”

Ms Murray joined Carey Olsen as a pupil last year while on her secondment from Liberty Specialty Markets Bermuda.

She offered advice on coverage problems and disputes for insurance business, and spent much of her time drafting documents for such disputes.

Ms Murray said that, because of her mother’s experience in law school, she had many opportunities to vent to her about the struggles of law school and her pupillages.

She said: “There were many times where there were obstacles or late nights and I would call her crying and say ‘I’m scared that I might fail or I’m not going to have enough time to study’.

“She would definitely encourage me and just say ‘keep going’ because she was in the same boat.”

Mr Foley said that Ms Murray was a “pleasure” to have around, even inspiring him to create an internship programme to give attendees a more in-depth understanding of the firm.

He said: “I was deeply inspired by Ms Murray by the curiosity she had about the roles that everyone played.”

Mr Foley added: “I timed the advertisements so that she could come back and I was so glad that she did — she was such a pleasure.

“I am confident that Ms Murray will be an asset to whatever company she is working with.”

Kyle Masters, Ms Murray’s tutor, said the pair’s families had known each other for years and that he was proud to see the woman she had become.

He added that Ms Murray was the epitome of hard work and diligence.

Ms Murray will start a new position next month on Walkers Ltd’s corporate team.