Former Jamaican sprinter Sekou Clarke now laying down the law
Published:Sunday | January 2, 2022 | 12:10 AMKrysta Anderson - Staff Reporter
The name Sekou Clarke conjures exciting memories of talent, determination, inspiration and dominance. Son of Calabar coach Michael Clarke, the former sprinter championed his way into the spotlight, making an indelible mark on the sports scene. So where is he now? The athletic star traded in the track for the courtroom, and he’s running his own law firm while practising immigration and personal injury law overseas.
“I have always wanted to do law since high school. I did A level English law in sixth form. Besides that, I enjoyed the strategy and competitive nature of the practice of law. So when track was coming to an end, I knew law would be the next chapter,” he told The Sunday Gleaner. Growing up in Jamaica afforded Clarke the opportunity to have a well-rounded experience.
Born to working-class parents, he watched in awe as they made the necessary sacrifice to give their son all he needed to weather any storm and to be successful. His alma mater, Jamaica College, instilled the right value system, teaching him to be competitive in sports and driven with academia. Striking that balance was deemed mandatory.
Attaining his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and his law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law, he learned to make a transition, dropping the athlete from student-athlete. That proved to be both challenging and humbling. “Law school was easily one of the most challenging periods of my life because I had to teach myself new study habits, and I had to adapt to an aggressive testing environment. Nonetheless, I was able to adapt, and I enjoyed the challenge and competition that came with law school,” he pointed out.
So why did Clarke engage in the practice of immigration and personal injury law? He followed the path of his first year of internship with a personal injury law firm and his first job straight out of law school. As he grew in practice and experience, so did his love and passion for helping others through a challenging period of their lives.
REWARDING CAREER
Immigration came into play when he was tasked with starting that arm in the new personal injury law firm he was employed to. Two months in, business boomed. Clarke was able to connect with clients on a personal level, relating and sharing his immigration journey while providing representation. The work was so rewarding that it didn’t feel like work.
At 34 years old, the young professional has already established his own law practice. This, he sees as a humbling and rewarding experience. A firm believer in building his name, Clarke is proud of the strides he has made in fulfilling his life’s purpose, and he’s excited to be creating a legacy for his children.
“The biggest challenge for me is constantly trying to adapt to the business of owning a law firm. I had to constantly know how to manage cash flow, marketing, manage employees and diverse personalities while at the same time practising law in an effective and ethical way,” he revealed.
He still gets a thrill from the courtroom, which reminds the lawyer of a race. Similar to the adrenaline beforehand, he is aware and prepared to strategise, outsmart and outperform the opponent (attorney) beside him. “When the judge calls my name, it’s the same feeling as exploding from the blocks to the gun of the starter,” he added.
Clarke is not only committed to winning the cases before him, he hopes to bridge the gap between finances and accessibility to legal advice, and provides free legal advice through his social media accounts. “I strongly believe that law is not accessible enough to the general population, the less sophisticated and is even more skewed against minorities. So I enjoy providing legal information in a simple, easy to understand format.”
Additionally, he has become an author, writing the book, Making America Great: The Immigrant Experience. The book, which took 18 months to complete, explores immigration challenges and changes in the United States in the last four months. And takes on a personal approach based on his experiences.
He continues to be motivated by his family, the constant competition with his future self and the responsibility he feels to be an example and inspire people like him. With hopes of getting better at his craft, he advises those who want to follow in his footsteps to lose all fear, create goals and commit to gaining knowledge and experience.