Sint Maarten attorney-at-law Ashton Richardson has achieved two significant academic milestones: completing his second Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) through the University of Curaçao and earning admission to the prestigious Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

Richardson, an attorney at Brooks & Associates N.V., has practiced for more than five years. His legal practice spans constitutional and administrative law, immigration, human rights, criminal law and civil law, with a particular focus on human rights and administrative matters.

During his legal career, Richardson has successfully litigated important administrative and human-rights cases, contributing to the continued development of jurisprudence within Sint Maarten and the wider Dutch Caribbean.

Richardson obtained his first LL.B. in International and European Law from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. He later earned an LL.M. in Global Criminal Law from the University of Groningen, graduating with honors. He also completed a one-year internship with the Trial Chambers of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague, where he gained experience in international criminal law, legal procedure and judicial administration.

After returning to Sint Maarten, Richardson joined Brooks & Associates, where he has continued to develop academically and professionally under the mentorship of senior attorney Brenda Brooks, LL.M.

Richardson has now been admitted to the Geneva Academy’s 2026–2028 Executive Master – Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in International Law in Armed Conflict. The Geneva Academy is a joint center of the University of Geneva’s Faculty of Law and the Geneva Graduate Institute.

Admission to the program is highly competitive, with only 40 participants accepted into each cohort. The program brings together experienced and academically qualified legal professionals from around the world. Richardson’s selection for one of these limited places is therefore a significant achievement and places a Sint Maarten attorney among a distinguished international group of legal professionals.

The two-year program will allow Richardson to further specialize in international humanitarian law, human rights and international criminal law while continuing his legal practice at Brooks & Associates in Sint Maarten. The advanced knowledge and international perspective gained through the program will also strengthen the firm’s ability to advise and represent clients in complex legal matters.

Richardson is working toward his long-term ambition of one day serving as a judge and contributing to the administration of justice and the strengthening of the rule of law in Sint Maarten.

He remains grateful to his family, particularly his mother, for her continued encouragement and support. He also thanks his clients and colleagues for their continued trust and extends special appreciation to Attorney Brenda Brooks for her mentorship and the important role she continues to play in his professional development.

Brooks & Associates congratulates Richardson on this outstanding achievement and looks forward to his continued contribution to the firm, its clients and the wider Sint Maarten community.