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Sidebar: 2020 Vision, lessons for the new year
It’s still early enough in 2020 to share the vision and plan for the new year, right? Just asking because the new cycle moves fast & we’re basically on the brink of god knows what but trying to not live in terror, you know the vibezzz. #hidethepainharold 2019 was such a year of growth for me and I want to share some lessons I learned (some the hard way!) and hopes for the new year. One. Have the courage to change. Easier said than done! But 2019 was when I realized that if I wanted to grow in my career I needed to seek new challenges. It would have been…
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Why Can’t I Shake This? Beating Imposter Syndrome Once and For All
Hi, my name is Nubia and it’s been 0 days since I last felt insecure about my professional capacity. Ok, maybe it’s been more than 0 days, but the reality is that experiencing imposter syndrome is a frequent occurrence and beating it means really working to recognize when it’s happening and then working hard to dismiss it when it occurs. Imposter syndrome is a feeling that you are not capable of doing what you’ve been tasked to do and that at any moment people will discover that you are a fraud. Often we attribute our successes to luck rather than skills and diminish our accomplishments lest others point out just…
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A (1/2) Decade of Latinas Uprising
It’s kind of exciting that we’re entering a new decade right? I think because I’m working on census 2020 stuff all the time at my new job that I’m very aware of this decennial time frame and how much changes in ten years. But this time around, I am a little more relaxed than times past where I had a set timeline of accomplishments and milestones I wanted to work towards. In 2010, my only goal was to graduate law school, pass the bar, and find a full time job as an attorney. I can say that decade really delivered. Not only did I become a lawyer, I laid a…
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An Ode to Vincent Gambini
An ABA Journal post has been making the rounds about Elle Woods and how it inspired so many women to go to law school. I love Legally Blonde and think it’s a cute movie, but if I’m also a little worried that so much love is being poured on Elle Woods and not enough attention is being given to the true patron saint of low-income/first-gen law students, one Vincent “Vinny” LaGuardia Gambini aka John Callo aka John Gallo. First, if you’ve never seen My Cousin Vinny please use whatever million and one streaming apps you have and watch it right meow! Not only is it great, as I’m about to…
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Sidebar: It’s been a year or, I’m back bb!
Hello, So, for my ride and dies, I’m so sorry we’ve had such a long pause on the sidebar series. It’s been a minute. For those that are new, sidebar is just way fo me to share some (usually fun) updates on my life. I like giving this peek into my month to month because I find it less likely for people to take guidance and advice from some rando. It’s also fun to get to know each other this way! But having said that, you probably noticed sidebar stopped around March and that is because I was in a weird spot that was not super easy for me to…
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The Perfect Nude [Lipstick]
It’s been a while since I’ve shared favorite lippies and thought this would be a good time because I have such a mix of colors that I’ve been reaching for on rotation. As always when we talk about makeup–you do you, it’s most def not a necessary component to look “professional.” But if you enjoy it, then let’s dig in! I continue to prefer nudes and neutrals for work, but have added a little more color, especially for days where I have events in the evening. Que Linda x Vive Cosmetics: It’s a great neutral, lasts forever (like all vive products) super good quality and just nice for an every…
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What Does it Mean to Think Like a Lawyer
We often hear this phrase as a new law student and maybe even covet the praise. You give an answer and the professor mentions that now you’re thinking like a lawyer before moving on to stump another student. But what does it mean? Do lawyers really think a certain way? What if you never feel like you’ll get there? Rest assured, once you get through law school you will surely know how to think like a lawyer. But I’m here to explain right now what that really means. Lawyers think analytically, strategically, and only with emotion if it’s necessary. Omg, does this sound like a robot? Yeah, well we’re kind…
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The Guilt that Comes with Family Financial Contributions
A million years ago I watched the documentary about the Baltimore step team and one of the girls was heading to a top college. But she started to get concerned because the FAFSA form included a line of how much her family was expected to contribute and she felt guilty at asking her parents to give so much. Her parents got her all the way together and told her to not worry about their finances. She was their responsibility and they would make sure she got to school. Not everyone has parents with this type of philosophy or have parents that can (or maybe even want to) provide the…
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Lawtina Book Club: Sabrina and Corina
When I first decided to read this book by Kali Fajardo Anstine, I was mostly intrigued because a lot of the Latina content creators I follow were mentioning it. I purchased it and didn’t even read the blurb, assuming it was a novel about two women. Well, let me be the first to explain this is actually a collection of short stories and I don’t think I have a read a piece like this ever in my life. Sabrina and Corina spans across different women, in different seasons of their lives and yet ties them together with similar tragic, painful, and often violent experiences. A little warning, if you can’t…
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Beware of Burnout
When I first started practicing I was so fueled by excitement and hope that I never, ever thought I would get tired of doing my job. And thankfully for me it took a long time before the negative aspects of lawyering started to feel like a drag. I count myself lucky because my work didn’t have a ton of adversarial encounters (my immigration practice was mostly affirmative based). My clients were literally the best people ever, and I was lucky enough to do really novel work in terms of addressing gender-based violence. Oh and did I mention I practiced immigration during a time where immigration law was pretty much steady…