Three generations, one profession, one family-Story of Koiwah Koi-Larbi, Esq.

In law, the doctrine of stare decisis gives effect to the principle that decided cases ought to guide subsequent decisions. Through precedent, the law promotes certainty, consistency and predictability, ensuring that the application of legal principles is not left entirely to uncertainty or individual discretion. But what happens when precedent is not merely a legal principle, but a family inheritance? What happens when the footsteps of those who came before you have already traced a path into a profession, and the expectation is that you will follow?

For me, the journey to the Bar began long before I understood what the legal profession demanded. I was born into a family where the law was more than a vocation; it was a legacy.

I am the daughter of a Lawyer and the Granddaughter of a Supreme Court Judge. In many respects, the trajectory of my professional life appeared to have been determined from birth. As the firstborn of three daughters, the expectation to uphold a distinguished family legacy was neither subtle nor insignificant. There was an unspoken responsibility to carry forward a name, a tradition and a professional heritage established by two generations before me. One might therefore assume that becoming a lawyer was an inevitable consequence of my upbringing. Yet, as with every legal proposition, the facts of my case were considerably more complex.

Growing up in a traditional Ghanaian setting, particularly in an era when parental expectations often influenced career choices, professional aspirations were not always entirely self-determined. However, despite the legal heritage into which I was born, I was determined to explore my own interests and make choices that reflected my personal convictions.

Interestingly, the law was not my first choice. I pursued Accounting and obtained my first degree in the discipline. It was a decision that reflected my interests at the time, rather than an outright rejection of the legal profession. Somewhere within me, I knew that the law would eventually become part of my story. I simply did not know when, or under what circumstances. Life, however, has a way of introducing facts that fundamentally alter the course of a case.

WHEN LIFE BECAME THE CASE TO BE LITIGATED

My journey to the law was not a straightforward progression from one academic qualification to another. It was shaped by deeply personal experiences, some of which would test my resilience in ways I could never have anticipated. I entered marriage to a lawyer, perhaps another indication of how closely the legal profession had always featured in my life's narrative. That marriage would eventually dissolve.

I also experienced the devastating loss of three babies. These were not merely unfortunate events in the chronology of my life. They were profound personal losses that changed my understanding of suffering, vulnerability, justice and the human experience. The loss of my children exposed me to the fragility of life and the emotional realities that families encounter within healthcare systems. It awakened in me a desire to advocate for others, particularly women, mothers and families navigating difficult medical experiences. What began as personal grief gradually evolved into a deeper sense of purpose.

I became increasingly conscious of the need for stronger advocacy, accountability and the protection of patients' rights within the medical and healthcare sector. I began to see the law not simply as a profession inherited from my family, but as an instrument through which I could give expression to issues that had become deeply personal to me. It was at this intersection of personal experience and professional aspiration that my decision to pursue law became more firmly established. I would eventually return to the very profession whose legacy had surrounded me from birth, but this time, not merely to continue a family tradition. I would pursue it with a purpose of my own.

THE FIRST DEGREE WAS NOT THE FINAL DETERMINATION

Having obtained my first degree in Accounting, I proceeded to pursue a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), from 2015 to 2018. The expectation was that the professional law course would follow shortly after graduation, as is ordinarily contemplated in the progression towards qualification as a legal practitioner. But life does not always proceed according to the timetable of one's aspirations. In legal proceedings, even where a party has established a legitimate claim, the granting of the relief sought may be delayed by procedural complications, intervening circumstances and matters beyond the party's control.

My journey was not different.

The completion of my LLB did not immediately translate into admission to the professional law programme and, subsequently, qualification at the Bar. What I had anticipated as the next chapter became a prolonged period of waiting, uncertainty and personal battles. The dream remained alive, but the circumstances surrounding its fulfilment became increasingly difficult. Years passed, and a Maters in Medical Law & Ethics was pursued. Almost a decade separated the beginning of my legal education from the eventual realisation of my ambition to be called to the Bar. For some, such a delay might have constituted sufficient grounds to abandon the pursuit. For me, however, the passage of time did not extinguish the claim. It only strengthened my resolve to obtain the relief I had sought for so long.

2024: A SECOND CHANCE AND A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRIAL

In 2024, I made another attempt at the entrance examination.

It was not simply another examination. It was a renewed confrontation with a dream that had survived years of disappointment, personal upheaval and uncertainty. The preparation demanded extraordinary discipline. There were gruelling hours of study, demanding academic schedules and nights spent studying when the body desperately needed rest. There were also episodes of ill health and hospital admissions. At various points, I had to contend with physical discomfort and medical challenges while preparing for an examination that represented years of sacrifice. I wrote examinations while unwell, drawing on reserves of strength that I did not always know I possessed.

And yet, after every examination paper, I found myself offering songs of praise.

It was my way of acknowledging that, beyond preparation, intellectual capacity and determination, there were circumstances over which I had no control. Faith became an anchor through the uncertainty.The examination process was not merely an assessment of academic competence. It became a test of endurance, discipline, faith and the willingness to continue when circumstances offered every justification to stop. I had already spent years pursuing this dream. I was not prepared to allow another difficult chapter to determine the outcome of my entire story.

THE PRICE OF THE CALL

The journey to the Bar has exacted a considerable price.

Behind the professional title, Esq., lies a decade marked by a dissolved marriage, the devastating loss of three children, financial difficulties, health challenges and numerous personal sacrifices. These experiences are not presented as credentials, nor do they diminish the individual journeys of others who have overcome different obstacles. They are simply the facts of my own journey.

The legal profession measures competence through knowledge of the law, professional ethics, discipline and the ability to discharge one's duties with integrity. Yet, my journey has taught me that the road to professional qualification can also demand extraordinary personal resilience. There were moments when the destination seemed distant. There were seasons when the cost of continuing appeared greater than the comfort of giving up. There were days when the only evidence that I had not abandoned the dream was my decision to rise and try again. The sacrifice was not merely financial or academic. It was emotional, physical and deeply personal.

But I remained.

And in remaining, I discovered that resilience is not necessarily the absence of weakness, fear or exhaustion. Sometimes, it is the decision to proceed despite all three.

THREE GENERATIONS, ONE PROFESSION, BUT A LEGACY REDEFINED

To become Koiwah Koi-Larbi, Esq., is to stand at the intersection of three generations of legal heritage. My grandfather's distinguished service as a Supreme Court Judge represents one generation. My father's career as a lawyer represents another. My own admission to the legal profession represents the continuation of that heritage. But continuity does not mean sameness.

The Bar must be earned.

My grandfather's judicial legacy could not write my examinations. My father's professional experience could not sit in my place. Their achievements could inspire me, but the academic, personal and professional demands of my own journey remained mine to discharge. In that regard, my story is not simply one of following precedent. It is one of establishing my own. The family legacy gave me a foundation, but my experiences gave me a distinct purpose. The losses I endured shaped my commitment to advocacy, particularly within the medical and healthcare sector. My professional aspirations are therefore informed not only by the tradition into which I was born, but also by the realities I have personally encountered.

I hope to bring to the profession a perspective informed by both legal learning and lived experience, particularly in advocating for the protection of patients, women, mothers and vulnerable persons within healthcare systems. The law, after all, must be more than a body of rules. It must remain an instrument for the protection of rights, the promotion of accountability and the pursuit of justice.

THE JUDGMENT: A DREAM REALISED, A NEW CHAPTER COMMENCED

If my life were a legal proceeding, the evidence would reveal a journey characterised by delay, adversity, loss, persistence and an unwavering determination to obtain the relief sought. The final outcome, however, is not simply the attainment of a professional title. It is the affirmation that circumstances may delay a person's progress without necessarily determining the ultimate outcome. It is proof that a difficult beginning, an interrupted journey or a prolonged struggle need not constitute a final determination of one's possibilities.

Today, as Koiwah Koi-Larbi, Esq., I stand grateful for the generations before me, conscious of the sacrifices behind me and mindful of the responsibilities ahead of me. I celebrate my Grandfather, whose judicial service helped establish the family's legal heritage. I celebrate my Father, whose profession provided an enduring example. And I celebrate the woman I have had to become through years of experiences that tested my faith, courage and determination.

I did not arrive at the Bar without privilege. But neither did I arrive without a struggle.

My surname may have carried a legal history, but my qualification carries my own story.

Three generations. One profession. One family. 

Yet, one journey that had to be fought, endured and ultimately completed.

I am Koiwah Koi-Larbi, Esq. The legacy continues, but my story is my own.