Jaimé-Lee Jacobs grew up in the marginalised area of Westbury, Johannesburg before moving to Cape Town with her family in search of better opportunities in 2008.
Jaimé-Lee Jacobs, director at Herold Gie Attorneys
Bearing witness to grave injustices in her community at that time – where so many adults who lacked education would struggle in poverty and fall victim to alcoholism, violence and drug abuse, while teenagers followed in their footsteps – Jacobs knew she had to do more:
I vowed to myself to be better and do better in the hope that I would be a positive influence for my peers, friends and family.
"Having been raised in a close-knit family from humble beginnings, where respect, kindness, loyalty, perseverance and a strong work ethic in any task undertaken are cornerstone values from my maternal and paternal heritage, I was privileged to incubate these values as my bedrock in pursuit of a career in law," says Jacobs.
"My parents always encouraged me to read to calm my curious mind. After enough endurance of 'we cannot go out to the movies until you finished that book, or that chapter,' I developed a love for reading and history.
"My love for reading and history grew in high school, particularly in Grade 11 and 12, due to the excellent teaching of my respective English teachers at JG Meiring High School from 2009-2010 – Ms. Steenkamp and Mr. Erasmus at that time. This further catapulted me into choosing a career in practising law."
Today, Jacobs holds an LLB from the University of the Western Cape, and is a director at Herold Gie Attorneys, specialising with Public and Employment Law.
This Women's Month, we chat to Jacobs about her rising star status, women's superpowers and why she believes new mother's deserve far more support than they are currently afforded.
Congratulations on being shortlisted for the Private Practice Rising Star category at last year's African Legal Awards. What does this recognition mean to you?
Although I did not win this award, having been shortlisted was an honour for me, especially given that the nomination for this award was based on a motivation submitted by my colleagues. I was truly grateful to be nominated and shortlisted for this award, as it affirmed that the last 14 years of my life invested in pursuing a career in law was the correct choice.
What do you view as women’s “superpowers” in courtroom or at the negotiating table?
Over recent years, scientific research has indicated that women’s brains are optimized for rapid intuitive decision-making. On this basis, I believe that women are innately more intuitive than our male counterparts.
In my view, this is what sets female legal practitioners apart, “intuition”. This is a female legal practitioner’s “superpower” in the court or negotiation room. Our innate “intuition” hones the skill of reading and understanding subtle cues – especially from non-verbal communication – of a judge, magistrate, or opponent.
If you could create one law that would positively impact women, what would it be?
If I could create one law to positively impact women, it would be to extend the statutory minimum period of maternity leave in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act from four months to eight months.
In addition, I would also lobby to impose a statutory obligation on employers, especially corporate employers, to implement an internal maternity policy whereby female workers are granted an additional four months of paid maternity leave.
I am of the view that these changes to our current law would ensure that women are not forced to choose between their careers and their families, addressing one of the root causes of the gender pay gap and career stagnation. In addition, these changes would ensure that women are present for the first year of their child’s lives, which is fundamentally important for child development.
By supporting both working mothers and caregivers, it would promote economic equality, reduce burnout, and foster a more balanced distribution of household responsibilities. Ultimately, it would recognise caregiving as essential labour and empower women to thrive in both their personal and professional lives.
Who are your female legal icons and why?
My first female icon is the current Chief Justice of South Africa, Justice Mandisa Maya. She has a distinguished legal career and similarly came from humble beginnings in the Eastern Cape province. Her tenacity and advocacy for more inclusive gender diversity in the legal profession (viz. female judges), especially for judges on the bench is admirable and sets the standard for women in the legal fraternity to continuously push for gender-inclusive transformation.
My second female icon is Judge Katherine Mary Savage. Not only has Judge Savage had a distinguished legal career; she has actively contributed to the legal landscape of our new democracy, having drafted key parts of our current Constitution alongside other experts; and was also a legal researcher in the ANC’s Constitutional Commission in Parliament from 1995-1996.
I view Judge Savage’s distinguished legal career and advocacy for equality and justice for all South Africans as an admirable standard of practising law without fear, favour or prejudice.
What is your Women's Month message to young girls who have an interest in law?
Always be courageous, kind and gracious. Do not be afraid to take up space to pursue your goals. Being a woman in this game has an advantage - we have intuition - use it!
