Motlamedi Makopo
Makopo Law Office has been around since 2012. It is based in Gaborone and provides legal services across Botswana. It was established by Motlamedi Makopo, a trial attorney with substantial experience in the High Court and other Courts of the Republic of Botswana. Motlamedi Makopo graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Botswana in October, 2007 and subsequently also completed an intensive professional training program in the Art of Trial Advocacy Skills with the National Institute for Trial Advocacy in September, 2009. He has consistently been involved in the private practice of the law since graduation, working for two private law firms in Gaborone before founding Makopo Law Office. He lives in Gaborone with his wife and two children. His abridged biography appears below.
I am sure there was always a reason why I decided to walk into law school at the University of Botswana for the first time back in 2002. However, I am also sure that, at the time, if anybody had asked me why I chose to take up the study of law; I could not have been able to provide an answer, even if my life depended on it.Sometime in 2014 I stumbled upon a video of a speech given by Steve Jobs at the Stanford University’s 114th Commencement ceremony in 2005. In this video, Jobs spoke about how one cannot connect the dots or the steps one takes in their journey of life looking forward and that one can only connect the dots or appreciate the meaning of those steps by looking backwards on the journey itself and doing so at an advanced stage and not start of the journey. The video made me pause and look back at my own journey with the law. I believe my journey to here can be traced to three things, that is; my upbringing, the book I read as a teenager and my love for stage performance and the arts.
Together with other children in an extended family setup, I was raised in a tiny village of Seolwane, in the Tswapong area, by both my grandmother and mother, both of whom were never married and were primary school teachers.Being a teacher’s child came with a lot of pressure in terms of school performance and general social behavior. Deep in the trenches of my subconscious mind, I believed myself to be expected to “act the part” and reflect that I had received the best guidance, on a first-hand basis, from my mothers.I have always therefore tried to do better in my studies and take care of anyone in my path who needed my help because I realized from an early age that I was expected to do better, help those in need of my help and not compromise myself in any way. My name, Motlamedi, literally means the one who takes care of things or others. Makopo Law Office solely exists to take care of the communities in which we operate and bring hope to any legal situation faced by anyone who walks through our door.
Sometime in 1998, as a 15 year old Form 2 student, I picked up a book at my junior secondary school library of Motsumi CJSS in Letlhakane. The book chronicled the real-life injustices of a man, the author himself, who was on death row after being convicted on a wrong charge of murder. He was awaiting his execution on death row but managed to work on his appeal by himself and was eventually exonerated. Although based on the events that took place in Kenya, the book, Birds of Kamiti, left an indelible mark on me as a boy and introduced to me for the first time an idea that there is a system of law, good in spirit and purport, but capable of corrupt administration and enforcement by unjust people and can ruin the life of an innocent human being. I was particularly intrigued by this story and the man behind it, especially his ability to eventually dig himself out of the legal pit -hole he found himself in. This story implanted in me a seed of belief that in some capacity in future, I could play a role in the broad playing field of justice and be on the good side of the law.
Throughout all stages of my primary and secondary school life, I was always engaged with the arts. From traditional dance, choral music and drama─ I was a busy kid in the extracurricular scene. At both the junior and secondary school levels, I focused on drama and stage performance. I felt more alive and thrived on the stage and enjoyed attention. Signing up to become a lawyer after completing my Form 5 in 2001 at Letlhakane Senior Secondary School was the most guaranteed way of continuing to being the center of attention. I admit however, that out of the three reasons on why I chose to be involved with the law, this is the most selfish. However, I take comfort from that, through Makopo Law Office, I essentially pass on the attention and center it squarely on the client and the case at hand.