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Latina Leader: Denise Hernandez
It’s time for another Latina Leader Lunes! Today we spotlight Denise Hernandez, an assistant district attorney based in Texas. Not only is she a litigator and advocate for survivors of domestic violence but she is also the co-founder of Hustle for the Cause, a a Social Impact Production company out of Austin, Texas. Owned and operated by LGBTQ Women of Color, their mission is to generate a positive social impact by creating cultural content and experiences that empower undeserved communities. She is also the founder of Chingona Fest, a statewide conference and music festival focused on empowering Latinas. So we can assume she is booked and busy and we’re so…
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What Law School is Not
Recently someone interested in pursuing a more academic career asked me about the nature of law school and the ability to discuss ideas and social issues along with cases. It reminded me of my own experience when I first started law school and how incorrect I was when it came to the purpose and focus of law school. The summer before my 1L year I was really lucky to participate in a program for low income students to prep them for law school; like a mini-boot camp. I was stationed at Notre Dame and was bright eyed and ready to go on my first day. The program had three courses,…
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Seeking Guest Contributors for the Summer Series
It’s that time again!!! Latinas Uprising is seeking 10 guest contributors for our special summer series! We want to showcase: The varied and engaging work law students are doing this summer; Sneak peeks into the life of law grads preparing for the Bar exam; and Pre-law students who are enjoying their last summer as they prepare for the start law school. If you fit into any of these categories, please email LatinasUprising@gmail.com with the subject line: Guest Contributor. Please provide your name; location; law school/year in school; and: If you are a current law student, please provide a brief (a couple of sentences) of what your plans are for this summer.…
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If Kim Kardashian Can Do It, So Can You? : Alternative Paths to Becoming a Lawyer
By now most have heard about Kim Kardashian’s plan to become a lawyer without going to law school. There was some confusion because a lot of people don’t know of California’s apprenticeship exception that allows you to circumvent law school and instead learn the law in a non-traditional manner. People assumed she was “buying” her degree rather than doing it the “right” way. While I am not one to support or defend the Kardashian conglomerate, the path she’s pursuing is clearly an option that’s available to people. But the real question is, is this a realistic option that will result in a practical, useful, and successful career for those of…
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Side Bar: March Madness
Truly, Madness. It was a whirlwind of a month with E moving and getting everything prepped for that, but here are the highlights: Vacation in Puerto Vallarta. I mean, Mexico is beautiful, the beach is amazing, food is delicious, and you can’t beat sitting just a few feet away from the water while drinking fruity cocktails all day. 2. At the beach I read White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo and it is a must read. I have recommended it to so many colleagues and took so many notes—eye opening and had me yelling “aha!” at the beach because it…
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Overcoming Burnout: Stress and the New Lawyer
Call it burn out, adulting so hard, winters blues–whatever you want to call it, it’s likely that sometime into your career as a new attorney you will feel drained from the responsibilities of your work and life. It’s completely normal to feel out of balance because suddenly not only are you juggling lawyer responsibilities, but you’re also adjusting to the demands of daily, adult life. And if you’ve always been in school or your gap year(s) didn’t really involve full-time work, then this adjustment can be difficult. When I was a new attorney, it took a while to find a steady routine that didn’t leave me drained. I was also…
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Be the Boss: Making Partner
Last weekend I attended a panel sponsored by the Hispanic Lawyers of Association of Illinois and it was amazing. The four women (plus moderator) were full of great advice and experience. They all work in different sized firms throughout Chicago. Before the talk they shared some stats that are important to keep in mind when it comes to pursuing a career in big law. First, Latinas still make less than 2%of all US attorneys. We have the lowest rate of law firm partners for any racial/ethnic group (0.4%) and make up only 0.6% of General Counsel within Fortune 500s. And to round it all up, Latinas make up less than…
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Latina Leader: Karla Navarrete
It’s time for another Latina Leader Lunes feature! Today we hear from California attorney, Karla Navarrete. A senior attorney at Coalition for Humane Rights, shares a bit of her work and what motivated her to become a lawyer. Spoiler: what I love most about her story is that she saw the need for more representation of Latinos in the law and then she went for it! And not only is she is excelling, she is leading a path for the next generation. 1. When & why did you decide to go to law school? I decided to go to law school as a sophomore at UCLA. I was looking for…
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Sidebar: Booked and Busy
That is how I would define February. I’m booked and hella busy in all arenas of life. Which is good, because that is always good but it is also stressful. Work has been busy like normal but there has been added work because one of the staff attorneys I supervise left so I have a few more added cases. There’s not a ton of work to do on them (like urgent deadlines) but adding more to your caseload is always stressful. I’ve also done a lot of extra work in terms of committees and projects outside of my direct rep that has been time consuming and mentally exhausting. It’s one…
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In Defense of a Gap Year
First, it’s really brazen for me to decide to tell you it’s worth considering a gap year before you go to law school when I didn’t take one. But that best part of time and experience is that you can look back at your missteps and think of ways things could have gone better. I want to talk about taking a gap year (or two) between undergrad and law school because I think gifting yourself this time can be super valuable to your career. If you’ve read Becoming then you know Michelle went straight through from Princeton to Harvard without much assessment as to whether law school was right for…