Woman in Law Interview – Omphile Boikanyo

The beauty of a digital community is that it allows us to connect from wherever we are. I came across Omphile Boikanyo’s profile after the social media challenge she took part in went viral. Omphile is an admitted attorney and legal entrepreneur. Her area of expertise lies in Corporate and Commercial Law. She holds a Bcom Law degree focused in Business Management, an LLB degree and she continued to further explore her business interest by doing an entrepreneurial short course at the Gordon Institute of Business.

Its always a pleasure to interview hard working, inspiring young women and I hope you are inspired and motivated by Omphile’s story as I am.

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FWIL:

What inspired you to study law?

OB:

Growing up, I was surrounded by family members who had pursued a career in law. My grandfather is a retired magistrate, my father was a practicing advocate and my uncle is an attorney. Being surrounded by them, I fell in love with the law from an early age.

FWIL:

As a black woman in law, have you experienced gender and race-related bias? Please tell us about the challenges, if any, that you have faced.

OB:

Being from a previously disadvantaged group (ie. Being a black and a woman) in corporate is difficult because you will always be perceived as though you are incapable or unable to perform tasks and are constantly overlooked for certain tasks allocated to your peers. I always told my colleagues that we can both hold the same degree(s), however we will never be on the same level, when it comes to being regarding to task allocations etc. As woman, we are subjected to the menial tasks.  

FWIL:

What does being an alpha female mean to you and would you describe yourself as one?

OB:

An alpha female is a boss babe, someone who is not afraid of voicing their opinion and owing it, even when it might be controversial and just being free and doing what they can to ensure they get to the top. A person who chases their dreams and does whatever it takes to ensure that they work towards them.  

FWIL:

Do you identify as a feminist? (Why/why not)

OB:

Definitely, at this day and age, how can another woman not desire to advocate, on behalf of woman, to be equal with their male counterpart. I think we are still lagging and might not be doing enough to ensure the equality aspect in society, but the little that each person is doing will go a long way.

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FWIL:

What does women empowerment mean to you?

OB:

Women empowerment to me means, us as women, encouraging each other to be better, teaching and learning from one another to ensure that we are growing and going to the top together. This is genuinely congratulating each other’s successes, pushing one another. At times, competitions amongst us is our biggest down fall.

FWIL:

The journey of most legal professionals is not always easy. What are some of the lessons you have learned along the way and how have they shaped your outlook on life?

OB:

What I have learnt thus far, is to make long-lasting relationships, build rapport with people as you never know when you will need a person’s assistance in your career. Another lesson is never to judge a book by its cover, people already know this, but it subconsciously happens, this has been one of my biggest lesson, to never underestimate where your help will stem from. Also, lending someone a hand when they need one always goes a long way Furthermore, never to be shy or feel supressed to speak your mind and stand firm in what you believe in., Lastly, never allowing a person to deter you from your attaining YOUR goal..

FWIL:

What is the best advice you would give to a woman in law?

OB:

Life is about trial and error, although you don’t want any errors during your trials. Making mistakes is a part of learning in life, a person should never view that as failure. Wear confidence on your sleeves, as that surely makes ones stand out in a crowd. As indicated above, create networks, also find a person, could be on social media ie. Instagram, to draw inspiration from.

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FWIL:

What attributes do you think every young lawyer must have?

OB:

Above the general analytical and listening skills, I think a must have attribute is confidence. Confidence assists a person to stand out from the crowd and not be afraid to voice opinions because that’s what is needed to be an amazing lawyer. Other attributes are good people skills which goes hand-in-hand with good communication skills, perseverance (the journey is long but definitely worth it), someone who stands firm in what they believe in, and a person with integrity.

FWIL:

What recent change/amendment in the law (in your country/state) has caught your attention? (Do you agree with the change? Why/why not)

OB:

The biggest amendments currently occurring are in relation to Coronavirus (Covid-19). There are so many interim regulations put in place in order to lessen the spread of the virus. I will mention a few regulations which the Government has imposed:    

1. The selling of hot food has been banned- I would say I disagree with this regulation as although they are trying to reduce the amount of people who are frequenting the stores, how are older people who don’t have any assistance, supposed to get food etc; and
2. There is a travel ban imposed on people for eliminate the traffic and the spread of the virus, previously children weren’t allowed to travel in between parents houses, however, same has been amended to allow for this, although you have to adhere to the requirements put in place to ensure that this regulation is not abused. I agree with the amendment made.

FWIL:

Our world is constantly changing, in your opinion, what are some of the challenges that legal professionals will face in future?

OB:

As we are aware, technology is taking over and it is up to us to ensure that we adjust and adapt to the changing environment. In the legal profession we are very slow in rolling or incorporating technological advancements. That will pose as a challenge to the legal profession as we, inter alia, are still required to go to court to file, however they have introduced caselines, which will hopefully be the future of filing and moving the into the paperless environment. We need to ensure that we are keeping abreast with the technological changes and incorporating same into our daily lives. 

FWIL:

As a legal professional, it is quite important to effectively use your network. How do you meet other professionals and what are some of your effective networking skills?

OB:

I have met people in the conventional way, like attending seminars and the like and the unconventional way, like on social media platforms or on a night out. When I create a network, I ensure that I build genuine relationships, draw out positivity from people, keeping in contact and effectively communicating with the people.

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FWIL:

What does the term “role model” mean to you? Is there a particular woman in your life that you consider a role model?

OB:

Role model to me, means someone I can also turn to, a source of inspiration, motivation and just generally on how to apply things in life. I am happy and proud to say the women in my family are ALL amazing women in their own right and have truly inspired me in my life. If I had to choose one, I would say my role model is my sister, Onkhopotse Jenei, she is a phenomenal woman, a hard worker, a person who is not afraid to make big decisions and she is such a stern and confident. When I look at her, she reminds me at the world is my oyster and that I should stop for no one and nothing to achieve things sought in my life.  

FWIL:

What books have you read that have greatly influenced your life?

OB:

To be truly honest I don’t read much books in my personal life, due to the fact that I read so much in my field. I will forever be indebted to audiobooks.  I am also grateful for my friends who have reasoned with the reference to books or tell me about their current reads. Those books have subconsciously played a role in my life. Of recent, I have been told about “The 5 AM Club” by Robin Sharma. 

FWIL:

What’s a quote that you live by? Your mantra

OB:

Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game, which was taken from the movie A Cinderella Story, has been my long-standing life motto. It encourages me to never be too afraid to leap into new opportunities, make the world my oyster and never allowing failure to deter me from doing anything I put myself to.

FWIL:

How do you remain autonomous while working in the legal field?

OB:

Having integrity, high moral fibre and self-respect, ensure you remain true to oneself and don’t get tainted or tempted by third parties. Those values would suffice to ensure that a person remains autonomous.

FWIL:

What is your take on mentorship and are you open to mentoring young lawyers or law students?

OB:

Mentorship means so much to me, a person being there to advice and guide you on your journey is an absolute blessing. When I was an aspiring attorney, my friends and I who studied law together, spoke about wanting someone who would guide us and assist us doing our studies and articles of clerkship. As such, longing for that has greatly inspired me to start an initiative called Kgolo Leloko to assist aspiring legal practitioners. I was also approached by a few people asking if I would mentor them during their articles of clerkship or pupillage, which affirmed me to start the initiative.

FWIL:

How can people reach out to you? (social media handles)

OB:

On Instagram, its @jesse_themaz, Facebook Omphile B, and Twitter @jesse_themaz.