Welcome to another #womaninlaw interview! This month we chat with Tshegofatso Gaelae. Tshegofatso is an admitted attorney and she is currently a Group Legal Advisor specializing in Labour Relations and BBBEE Management within a leading ICT reseller and distributor group . She has worked in private practice for a short while before making the move to Corporate Legal Advisory. Tshegofatso is also a mentor in the For Women In Law mentorship programme.
Below is our interview with the phenomenal #womaninalw.
FWIL:
What inspired you to study law?
TG:
My passion for justice inspired me to study law.
FWIL:
How did you go from practice to in-house and was this a plan that you always envisioned for yourself?
TG:
This was never part of the plan! I laugh a little every time I think about it… My plan was always to continue in criminal law practise, and eventually make it to the Bench. However, the opportunity to leave practise came at a time where staying in practise was proving to be impossible. Becoming an in-house Legal Counsel is what saved me from unemployment.
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.
TG:
I have definitely faced some gender-related bias, especially when I was in practice. There is a perception that women are soft; that women cannot handle the serious matters. I was in practice doing Criminal Law. I had to learn that as a woman, I have to work twice as hard to be taken as seriously as male counterparts. Show up, always.
FWIL:
What does being an alpha female mean to you and would you describe yourself as one?
TG:
An Alpha female, in my opinion, is someone who confidently shows up in all the areas that her life calls upon her to be in. Be it work, home life, motherhood etc. To confidently show up does not mean to be perfect, but rather to be your best self. I don’t know if I am an Alpha female just yet, but I definitely aspire to be one.
FWIL:
Do you identify as a feminist? (Why/why not)
TG:
To some extent yes. However, I wish there was no requirement to qualify the rights, freedoms, capabilities, and strengths of people based on their gender.
FWIL:
What does woman empowerment mean to you?
TG:
Personally, I believe women empowerment is a necessary tool used to remind women of their rightful place – which is everywhere they envision for themselves. To remind women, and re-place them in the positions they work hard for. Women empowerment is not a tool to give women hand-outs simply on the basis that they are women. It should rather be used as a torch to shine light on the hard work that women actually put in to be the employees/employers, entrepreneurs, advisors, wives, mothers, etc. they are in a society that is naturally imbalanced.
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?
TG:
- In the legal profession, just as in life generally, one needs to trust their instinct.
- The losses should not be taken as failures, but rather as lessons.
- Remain as gracious in the wins, as you are humble in the losses. This is because the legal professional world is just as tiny as it is large. The wheel turns and we will meet again, maybe not as opponents but as colleagues.
FWIL:
What is the best advice you would give to a woman in law?
TG:
Best advice would be to be just kind to yourself as you are hard working. Look after your mental health as well. Nobody tells us this when we are in law school and when we just enter the profession.
FWIL:
What attributes do you think every young lawyer must have?
TG:
Tenacity. This is not like in a legal series, where it looks like everything flows effortlessly. Its hard to build a good career in the legal fraternity. Determination and commitment to the goal is key.
FWIL:
What recent change/amendment in the law has caught your attention? (Do you agree with the change? Why/why not)
TG:
Naturally, being a labour lawyer, my interests have been captured by the matters being decided on in the CCMA recently regarding the fairness of dismissals and/or suspensions of employees who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID19. I am very sure that we will soon have a decision on this from the Labour Court and even the Constitutional Court.
FWIL:
Our world is constantly changing, in your opinion, what are some of the challenges that legal professionals will face in future?
TG:
The world is not just black and white, and we cannot just have a strictly linear view of legal matters. The law will need to adjust and accommodate a fast-growing liberal moral movement.
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?
TG:
I have recently joined a group of lawyers who have a social media page and share their insights thereon. I discovered that a lot of these professionals were my classmates in school. Joining this group alone has contributed massively to my ability to grow a legal networking circle.
FWIL:
What does the term “role model” mean to you? Is there a particular woman in your life that you consider a role model?
TG:
A role model – someone that one looks up to and would emulate… As cheesy as it may sound, my role model is my mother. Never ever have heard or witnessed her expressing any temptation to give up because things were tough. Instead, she taught me to work hard and to pray, and to never give up in life.
FWIL:
What books have you read that have greatly influenced your life?
I haven’t picked up a book in so long (I know, it is so terrible), however I am gifting myself Will Smith’s audiobook, Will. The reviews are so positive. It will be my company on my drives to and from work.
FWIL:
What’s a quote that you live by? Your mantra
TG:
- When you get to the top, send the ladder back down for those behind you.
- Give people their flowers while they can still smell them.
FWIL:
How do you remain autonomous while working in the legal field?
TG:
To thine own self be true. That is really the only way to remain autonomous. Its easy to be influenced, especially in the formative and mostly naïve years of being a young lawyer. Research, scrutinise sources of information, and be brave enough make an informed choice, YOUR own choice. That is how I have attempted to stay autonomous.
FWIL:
What is your take on mentorship?
TG:
Mentorship is the catalyst that pushed me to be where I am in my career. It is an important pillar that I stand on. I feel it is therefore my duty and responsibility to do the same for others, as was done for me. Sending the ladder back down.
FWIL:
How can people reach out to you? (social media handles)
TG:
- I am on Instagram on @tshego_gaelae
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tshegofatso-gaelae-26395868/