Women in Law: Florence Sylvia During of Sierra Leone

Meet Florence Sylvia During, ESQ., a Generation X lawyer whose journey has been shaped by a lifelong passion for justice, human rights, and dignity. A private legal practitioner and managing partner of Sonkita Conteh and Partners Law Firm in Sierra Leone, Florence practices as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of Sierra Leone, handling both criminal and civil matters. Her work includes representing clients in court, conducting legal research, preparing legal documents, and engaging in alternative dispute resolution, mediation, and strategic advocacy. Beyond legal practice, she is a gender and development consultant, a board/council member of the Young Women’s Christian Association of Sierra Leone, and a member of the Rotary Club of Freetown. She is also a part-time lecturer at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.

For Florence, law was a childhood dream that eventually became a career with a deeper purpose. Her confidence in her place within the profession comes from seeing herself as equal to her male counterparts, but her understanding of justice has also been shaped by almost two decades of working with women and children through organizations including the United Nations and civil society organizations both in and out of Sierra Leone. Those experiences brought her closer to the unequal power relationships that continue to affect women, men, boys, and girls and strengthened her belief that addressing such inequalities is essential to building sustainable peace and development. 

That perspective now informs her work with women navigating the justice system. Florence has seen how limited education, poor health, lack of knowledge about the law, poverty, and the cost of pursuing legal matters can make it harder for women to assert their rights. Traditional and religious restrictions can add to these difficulties, particularly in cases involving property and inheritance, marriage and divorce, child access and custody, and the division of matrimonial property. For Florence, legal representation must therefore go beyond appearing in court. She takes time to help women understand their rights and the protections available to them while advocating for remedies that take their socioeconomic circumstances into account. In doing so, she hopes to strengthen not only their legal position but also their confidence in the justice process.

She believes there is still work to be done beyond individual cases. While progress has been made through policies and initiatives promoting gender equality, Florence argues that greater attention must be given to implementation and to strengthening the systems that support equity between women and men. She also believes women must be willing to support one another despite political, economic, or religious differences. When reflecting on her own journey, Florence measures achievement through service. Her continued commitment to promoting access to justice, particularly for women, and supporting them through the process is, for her, an achievement in itself. It has required courage, empathy, patience, self-discipline, mutual respect, and trust.

For the next generation of women in law, her advice is simple but deliberate: “Be strategic, focused, and intentional…Serve with purpose and passion.” Florence’s journey shows that a legal career can be more than professional advancement; it can be a platform for advocacy, empowerment, and change. As a Generation X lawyer, she continues to build her own legacy while helping create a more equitable path for the women who will come after her.