• Law School

    Confidence Boost: What All Law Students Need to Know

    During law school, I kept a semi-consistent blog where I basically just re-capped my weekends (super riveting, I know). I was looking at a post I wrote after the first day of my Bar prep course and how much I was already freaking out about failing: But mostly I’m fearful because the one thing law school was great at was reminding me how unintelligent I am.  I mean, when people asked me questions about theories or laws I would think to myself, “why are they asking me?”  Seriously, my intellectual confidence took a beating so it’s no surprise that I am apprehensive about this whole Bar thing. Now, some people…

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  • Law School,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Celebrating the Bar Exam

    Way back when I was researching and planning my law school applications (so a while ago), I remember reading about post-Bar exam trips. This was pre-recession, and what seemed like truly gilded times. The idea was that you had a job lined up pre-graduation and so after you took the Bar, you wouldn’t start until September, giving yourself a month’s time to do something awesome, like travel to Europe. As I write this, it seems so laughable to me. These ridiculous standards that were set (and sometimes are still set) by the status quo just seem so out of reach for most of us. But regardless, that was how it…

  • Law School

    Bar Exam Must Haves

    So many are just weeks away from taking the February Bar! I remember hating the last two weeks because 1) all I did was study; 2) I was so ready for it to be over, but at the same time I was terrified to actually take the exam so it was a weird constant state of despair. For those that are taking the exam at the end of the month (or Super Planners, ready for July), I thought it would be useful to talk about some must-haves/must-dos/do nots for the day of the Bar: Must Have: Make sure you bring double the writing utensils that you need–even if you’re typing…

  • Law School,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Get Rid of Stress in Ten Minutes or Less

    If you follow me on Snapchat (and you should!) you saw that this week I had a crappy morning-so bad that I went off my regular tea-only schedule and bought myself a latte to feel better. I know that indulging in bad calories is probably not the greatest thing to do, but sometimes we just need the comfort, tu sabes. Anyway, I had a semi-hectic week (it got a lot better), but when combined with the anxious vibes I could feel from the soon-to-be attorneys studying for the February Bar, I found myself a little stressed out.  It made me think that it would be a good idea to share…

  • Issues,  Law School,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Conquering the Bar Exam with Kids

    There’s no way I can imagine what it’s like to study for the Bar as a parent. I’ve mentioned before that I noticed that mom-law students were always the best prepared (so well organized!), but I can’t imagine the added stress of children + the Bar. It’s tough, no doubt. For those February Bar takers that are juggling the exam and their family responsibilities, we have a guest writer today: Ariana Marte. She gives some tips and advice for parents as they head into the last month before the Bar.   This past summer I studied for the July New York and New Jersey bar exams, and my son turned…

  • Law School,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Celebrating Accomplishments: Si Se Pudo

    It’s that time of year again–Bar announcements.  And I’ve seen many have already gotten really great news!  Felicidades! It’s such an exciting time! So this seemed like a great time to talk about the importance of acknowledging professional accomplishments.  A common theme we see as women is that our professional achievements aren’t celebrated as strongly as events tied to family. This article does a great job of describing the problem.  I also remember reading an article years ago where a girl from a small town, where many of her peers couldn’t go to college because of teen pregnancy, graduated high school and was accepted into college.  Her achievement was so foreign…

  • Law School,  Legal Practice

    Summer Series: Overcoming the Fear of Failure

     Our Summer Series is winding down and we thought we’d end the Law Grad stories with Fulvia–not only is she a recent law school graduate, but she passed the New York bar this February and is newly licensed!  Fulvia describes the fear and added stress many of us face(d) when studying for the Bar and how to push past it to meet your goals. My name is Fulvia and I am a recent graduate of Syracuse University College of Law as well as a newly admitted attorney (as of June 22, 2015!). I am originally from New York City and recently moved to Binghamton, NY after accepting a staff attorney…

  • Law School,  Work Life Balance

    Summer Series: Holding Yourself Accountable During the Bar.

    Our Summer Series continues! 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 Gaby, a law school grad ready to take on the New York Bar and what she’s done to stay the course this summer. My name is Gaby.  Originally from Nevada, I graduated from law school in Washington, DC.  I’ve decided to study for the New York bar from…

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  • Law School,  Legal Practice

    Three Harsh Truths to Remember the Last Two Weeks Before the Bar Exam

    The last two weeks of Bar prep oscillate between wishing the Bar exam were tomorrow so you can get it over with versus freaking out that you’ll never learn everything by the day of the test.  The last two weeks are grueling, high paced, yet filled with hours that don’t seem to end.  It really sucks.  There’s not much you can do at the moment to alleviate the stress and anxiety.  During this time, even I don’t recommend taking large chunks of time off to exercise or cook or to relax. Why? Because all the time you spend not studying will be mostly time stressed about the fact you’re not…

  • Law School,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Summer Series: Delicate Balance of Family, Bar, and Sleep.

    Our Summer Series continues! 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 Bertha, a law school graduate studying for the Bar, and her advice on staying motivated to study while living with family (in beautiful Nicaragua no less!). I’m Bertha and I just graduated law school this past May after completing the four-year part-time J.D. program at…

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