• Law School,  Work Life Balance

    Summer Series: The Journey to Law School

    Our Summer Series for Summer 16 comes to an end! This series highlights different Latina students and law grads as they embark in their summer jobs and/or bar prep all across the country. We hope to provide a variety of work experiences, options for a healthy work-life balance, and general motivation through different guest contributors to help you to take charge of your summer and professional goals!  Today we hear from Nataly, a rising 1L, committed to immigrant and farmworker justice as she gears up for her first semester of law school while balancing the guilt that comes with bucking our traditions:  Earlier in the spring, I opened up an email from the school I…

  • Law School

    Breaking Barriers: Cultivating Soft Factors

    This series, Breaking Law School Barriers, tackles the big and small issues that come into play when you’re deciding if you’ll even attend law school.  The purpose is to give practical advice for college students, and for current law students and attorneys to give suggestions about their real world experience. If you’ve researched applying for law school then you know that LSAT score and GPA is king. And if you believe most online forums, then you may think that you shouldn’t bother to apply if you don’t have Elle Woods type stats. I remember when I first started applying, I believed all the hype from the forums and became nervous because I…

  • Law School

    Overcoming Law School Anxiety

    I remember the first few weeks before law school started and being really excited I was finally–finally–starting the last leg of my educational goals. But I also remember feeling lost and confused. I have homework before classes start? But I don’t understand what I’m reading… I’m not supposed to buy used books? But I can’t afford new books… You don’t recommend that I work during school? But I can’t afford my books! It was stress-inducing to say the least. For many people, the beginning of law school is exciting (and it should be!), but within the first few days, a lot of confusion and anxiety can creep in and turn…

  • Issues,  Legal Practice

    You Don’t Have to be Nice

    I recently finished Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and aside from being super funny, one comment caught my attention right away.  In the pilot, one of the Indiana Mole Women says that they followed the Rev to his car because she didn’t want to be rude.  Matt Lauer casually comments that he’s always amazed at the lengths women will go through to not be seen as rude. I definitely laughed, but it was such a true statement.   Too often, we are trained to be nice and polite above even our own comfort. Little girls are always told to be nice, to be polite, or to not make waves. We apologize for our opinions (prefacing almost all…

  • Issues,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Culture Conflict: Looking Latina

    At Latinas Uprising, we talk a lot about forms of assimilation and how to “look” like an attorney.  These discussions aren’t done because we believe that we should erase all forms of individuality or culture from our appearance; rather they are provided as a way to give guidance for those that haven’t had the chance to interact with the legal profession and want to learn how to be accepted by the legal community.  Ultimately, the goal is to help people learn what it takes to be accepted as an attorney, but also encourage empowerment so that you are the one that decides what your appearance will entail, regardless of what the status…

  • Issues,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Latinas Are Leaning In, A Book Review

    Two summers ago, I brought the book Lean In with me on vacation to St. Martin and promptly threw it back in my travel bag because this is just not beach-reading material!  A few months later, I was having lunch with one of the few Latina lawyers I know and she highly recommended the book.  I started reading it and couldn’t stop.  It was so informative and compelling, not just because the stories and statistics provided illuminated problems women face in the professional workforce; or because the advice seemed practical and useful; but because it was a window into a powerful world that we are trying to join. First, from a…

  • Issues,  Law School

    Slaying Goliath: Paying for Law School

    The biggest hinderance to applying, attending, graduating from law school is: money.  It is ridiculously expensive.  unnecessarily so, and I do believe a huge reason why the cost is so high is an attempt to keep the status quo in order. Because who suffers more by not having all types of capable and intelligent people earn these degrees?  Not just the students that can’t afford to attend the school, but also those communities in which the people reside–but that is a post for another day. While there is no excuse for the high cost, there doesn’t seem to be any real movement to make this an affordable degree.  If you’re going to start law…

  • Issues,  Legal Practice

    Confidence and the New Attorney

    Bar results come out today in some jurisdictions!!  Congratulations to all those that passed!! What an amazing feat!! While we hope you’re busy celebrating, we also want to take a moment to talk about the importance of confidence as you begin practicing law.  For the most part, confidence is a self-given gift.  You bestow it on yourself and say to hell with other people’s opinions and own your skills and abilities. It’s not easy getting there.  Especially during your first few months in the legal profession.  I never took as hard of a hit to my self-esteem and self-worth as the three years I spent in law school.  My writing…

  • Terms of Agreement

    Last Modified: December 27, 2021 PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS RELATING TO YOUR USE OF OUR WEBSITE CAREFULLY. Welcome to LatinasUprising.com (“our Website” “we,” or “us”). This page explains the terms by which you may use our Website and the materials, services or software accessible through it (the “Service”).  By accessing or using the Service, you signify that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Terms of Use Agreement (“Agreement”). We reserve the right to modify this Agreement at any time. We will indicate that changes to this Agreement have been made by listing a new date under “Last Modified” appearing above. By using…