Suggestions
Lauren Kohn
AdvocateOfHighCourtOfSA|Legal Scholar& YoungResearchFellow(UCT, joined 2013)|CoFounder: SALegalAdvice.co.za|M&G 'Top 200 Young SA'|WOZA Award ‘thought leader & academic'|Winner:InspiringFiftySA, 2020|AdoringMomOf4.
Lauren Kohn is a prominent legal scholar and practitioner based in South Africa with a focus on public law.1 She holds a B.Bus.Sci, LLB, and LLM, and is currently a PhD candidate at Leiden University.5
Professional Background
Lauren is an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa and has been serving as a Young Research Fellow at the University of Cape Town (UCT) since 2013.36 Her academic work primarily concentrates on administrative, constitutional, and environmental law.1
Achievements and Recognition
Lauren has received several notable accolades:
- Named in the Mail & Guardian's "Top 200 Young South Africans"36
- Winner of the WOZA Award, recognized as a "thought leader"5
Entrepreneurial Ventures
In addition to her academic pursuits, Lauren is the co-founder of SALegalAdvice.co.za, a platform likely aimed at providing legal information and services.36
Personal Insights
Lauren occasionally shares personal aspects of her life on her LinkedIn profile, offering glimpses into her life beyond her professional achievements.24 She appears to value a balance between her personal and professional life, often reflecting on her experiences and sharing thoughts with her network.7
Lauren Kohn's multifaceted career as a legal scholar, practitioner, and entrepreneur, combined with her academic pursuits and recognition, positions her as a notable figure in the South African legal landscape.
Highlights
Saturday on “the Bench”. What a special moment for my eldest daughters to witness, and partake in - and with such intrigue and decorum, even bowing when they exited the “court” - as they watched their mom’s students perform as “counsel” in this Moot Competition. The facts and Heads of Argument before the “court” raised various intersecting legal issues and my girls watched in awe as the students fielded questions from the “Bench” with aplomb and adaptability. In our post-moot, mother-daughter-de-brief dins, they asked me all sorts of questions and shared their own insights on their mama as de facto Judge President 🤣 (it must have been the robe!) and the students’ arguments, which made me so proud of them… and my students! My learned colleagues and I raised all manner of questions from the Bench - on jurisdiction, relief, costs, and substantive public- and private-law issues- in deciding this “appeal” from the Equality Court, and I loved probing, encouraging, and so deepening student legal knowledge and confidence. The one finalist team comprised Prelim students, who haven’t yet done the likes of civ proc, and I was so impressed with how they kept their composure and tackled challenging questions calmly and with an open mind, working together as co-counsel. Well done to you all!! It was a truly enriching experience. Congrats to the mooters, organizers @uctmootsoc_official etc and even my eldest “Mini-MEs” (I quote). It was an honour to research the legal issues, read the heads of argument and adjudicate on “the bench” for you, @uctmootsoc_official- and again, special thanks for letting my eldest daughters attend. What a super experience for all. ⚖️❤️🇿🇦🌈
Today is Women’s Day, and this day a week ago I experienced the sui generis splendour of my partner of over year 20 years admit me as an Advocate of the High Court of SA, while our 2 eldest girls and my Mom watched from the gallery (and Livvie even bowed to the judges who bowed back- so special) and my Pops would have been smiling down from heaven with such pride. To think, we graduated same year with our LLBs, LLMs and now there was this unique moment. I must mark it today, Women’s Day ‘24, for, let’s state facts: I am Woman. I am Warrior. I am fearless and I stand in my integrity, own my God-given gifts with grace and give thanks for being a vessel for our exquisite children; all while smashing a PhD, through which I have actively contributed to state-capture-redress, just as I decided I would 4 years ago… not a mere step in the so-called, academic-ladder…and all while carrying, birthing, raising and teaching our children and hoping to inspire the next gen of badass lady (and men) lawyers, leaders and lifelines of our future. This with 4 cuts, much pain, many tears and sleepless nights, moments of self-critique, exhaustion and disillusionment at what is still the orthodoxy/ culture of mediocrity/ OldBoyzClubBS (let’s just call misogyny what it is- be it perpetuated by women or men!!)…and guess what; I’ve realized my titanium-tenacity is strong despite my marshmellow interior. I’ve still produced not just jurisprudence-shaping scholarship, but taught with passion, and provided pro bono legal advice… all from my heart and mind, and so much more…Remember, if you shine they may try to dim your flame, but guess what: if your heart is big, you keep forgiving, keep loving, keep lighting those fires, never giving up and always paving a pathway of blazing light for your fellow women (and men). And as much as others may envy, stonewall or hurt you: know that that is THEIR smallness. Be BIG anyway. Be like the women who this day, all those years ago, marched and fought for what we still need to fight for TODAY!!! Keep fighting the good fight! Keep fighting for excellence, ethics and equity. Keep being that change we need in the world. Own it. With pride, humility and love, and as the woman you were born to be: creator, giver and nurturer of life, (law!), love, wonder and majesty of the best sort. 💥 👑. Wishing you all a blessed women’s day. Own your power. Don’t hide behind fear or false humility. Step into your brilliance. If people can’t take it: that’s their own stuff. Love always, LK. Xxx
