Changing Faces: Candidate Attorney

Like how we start off with everybody around here, can you please tell us about life growing up?

I grew up in a very close-knit loving home. My parents got married young and decided to start their life in the Mother City, so they packed ship and off we went. Then came along the 4^th member of the "Awesome Foursome" and we did everything together. We laughed, cried, learnt, explored, lived abroad, came back and did it all again. My fondest memories involve my parents, brother and I all being together, that’s how I grew up.

What is it that you do now?

I'm a candidate attorney, in simple terms an 'almost attorney'.

What did you study and are you using it at all in your current role?

I studied a B.Com LLB, which is both a B.Com degree and a Law degree at the same time. Whether I'm using it in my current role is a yes and no answer. Yes, because I'm in legal practise and no because I work in a department which didn't have a specific course in my curriculum.

How long have you been working and what do you miss about being a full time student?

I have been working for two years now. I'm currently in my third year and honestly I don’t think I miss varsity, it was genuinely a gruelling experience. However, if I had to pick one thing I miss, it would be the lengthy holidays.

Tell us about your work typical day.

What I love about what I do, is I generally don't have a "typical day". I'm currently doing mining law, which is multifaceted. One day I could be on site, which means I'm at the mine itself; the next day I could be office-bound drafting and attending to client issues and the following day I could be at court attending to that aspect of my job. It's an arena of law which is exciting, different and plays a huge part of our economy.

Three tips on people keen to join your line of work?

·         You must enjoy learning and strive to always learn more. The law is always changing and you have to have the stamina and desire to want to keep learning

·         Be prepared for long hours because as much as we sell expertise, we sell time and it’s critical to be able to manage your time efficiently and effectively.

·         Be nice to people. The industry isn't as is shown on popular television shows. I'm a firm believer that anyone can learn the law, but character and heart along with knowledge take you a little further.

Do you encounter any challenges that specifically come with being a young black woman in corporate SA?

My current job isn't my first job, so I have had the opportunity to be able to answer this question with a little more objectivity and less subjectivity. There are challenges, but you have to take it with a pinch of salt. Be confident in your work and who you are and your goals. Here's a little experience to give an example of what I mean; I once attended a lunch meeting whereby I was the only woman, let alone black women and a fellow black male counterpart made a joke along the lines of "normally it’s women who serve the food". Naturally I laughed because you have to be smart about such things. But I wasn't going to let it ignite a reaction. I could have decided to be cold, and conduct myself as "one of the boys", but I wasn't going to let it change who I am, nor influence the great person I'm trying to be in this industry. Being a young, black woman with knowledge is South Africa's next great "mineral resource".