• Legal Practice

    Big Law is Horrible…Or is it? What the Latest Big Law Drama Can Teach Us

    This week a slide from an alleged presentation by Paul Hastings dropped and boy…did people have a lot to say. Whether or not it was actually part of the presentation, the overall consensus was the Big Law is horrible and this is just another example. And I get it—seeing the slide by itself and how it prioritizes work above everything seems, at the very least, a little unhealthy while others may see it and think those expectations just come with the job. There is a widening gap in the way people approach work with a younger generation being more attuned with their rights and pushing for a more tenable work/life…

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  • SideBar,  Work Life Balance

    Side Bar: the wind down

    Last we spoke, I discussed wanting to shift some of the content here and then went silent. Sorry about that. Work, as always, became really hectic at the end of the year and into January. Then last month was the election in Chicago. Unfortunately, that means the administration I work for is coming to an end in May. What does that mean? I’m not sure—there are lots of moving pieces and lots of opportunities to consider. The good news is that at the beginning of the year my loans were finally forgiven. I did ten years deep of public service so all of it was wiped away. This means I’m…

  • SideBar

    Sidebar: Things just keep on moving

    Goodbye 2021! And lets hope it’s not 2020 part II—seriously, I’d like to live in precedented times for a bit—us Millennials have had enough of “once in a generation” experiences, thank you very much. But whatever 2022 has in store, I guess I’m ready lol And thankfully this past year was not as tumultuous as the one before. It felt like things were stabilizing or at least felt more manageable. I returned to the office five days a week; was triple vaccinated; finally saw my mom!; celebrated my 12 anniversary in Tampa (the Paris of the US); had a lot of great moments with this community; and had a lot…

  • SideBar

    Side Bar: What is even going on?

    Ok like how is it only barely March and we’ve experienced being on the brink of war and now a pandemic, like 2020 are you ok?! I mean it is my bday month, so I guess things have to start looking up, but the darkest timeline is going haywire. Anyway, I’m sure everyone is as confused/concerned about everything as I am. One of the silver linings is that I have gotten real serious about reducing waste. I’ve started experimenting with a lot of plant based recipes (though I don’t think I’ll ever get on soy/tofu train because the texture seems yuck to me), but that has been fun and while…

  • SideBar

    Sidebar: So Many Parties

    August was a whirlwind. There was a lot of events left and right, both at work and home. At work, we had like a million going away parties–ok, just four, but still a massive amount. We’ve had a lot of turnover lately for various reasons and of course that means we have goodbye parties for everyone. And while I like all my coworkers, just like Animal Farm, some are more liked than others lol #kanyeshrug. Meaning, I was really bummed when one of them left b/c we were work buds. But that is the life of legal aid–people come and go all the time. In the meantime, I super enjoyed…

  • Law School,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Good-Bye Spring: Favorite Links!

    May is always so eventful—aside from celebrating Mother’s day, Cinco de Mayo (I swear, I must have been a frat bro in another life), I also lived vicariously through everyone’s graduations. It was so great to see so many celebrate the accumulation of hard work along with so much determination to succeed in whatever new phase they were heading towards! Now, of course, I’m looking forward to summer in Chicago because there’s always so much to do, including visiting pretty pink flamingos at the Lincoln Park Zoo (highly recommend it!). This month we discussed: Study supplies for the Bar Exam (trust me on the tape and flash cards); Student loan…

  • Law School,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    The Importance of Self-Reflection

    There is so much to look forward to when an academic year ends—especially if it ends with your graduation. It’s just such a happy and exciting time! In the midst of all the excitement it’s easy to get overwhelmed and forget to really step back and appreciate your big accomplishment. Taking time to self-reflect on all the good you accomplished (and the dips along the way) is the best stepping stone for your next phase in life—whether that phase be a new school year in the fall, or starting your career. I really encourage new grads to take a moment after the celebrations have quieted down and really review all…

  • Issues,  Work Life Balance

    Simple Sun Protection for Latinas

    When I entered my late twenties I became super vigilant about skin care–steps I’d normally skip in the past (like washing off my makeup) suddenly became very necessary. This new devotion was definitely fueled by my long term plan to stay looking young for as long as I can. However, the more I read up on skin care, the more I realized how proactive I needed to start being about sun protection.  This is a topic that is sometimes ignored by Latinas because there is a myth that we’re not as affected by the sun. One reason for our lack of awareness is due to the fact that many studies seem…

  • Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    The Road Map for Creating Legal Change

    There’s a poem I stumbled upon a few years ago called, I am the Lawyer that describes the values attorneys uphold and the virtue we strive for; my favorite line is: I am the conservative of the past, the liberal of the present, and the radical of the future. That line is so striking to me because it is so true (and btw this was written at least 50 years ago, so the ideals the author attaches to those terms aren’t as politicized as they are now, imo). Rather, what I think the author meant was that attorneys push for progress, but also uphold the law, which creates a dichotomy…

  • Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Fading Acne Scars and Spots

    About two years ago, I suddenly started dealing with massive acne issues.  Ok, I’m exaggerating, but I cruised past my teens and most of my twenties with hardly any issues with acne so imagine my surprise (and horror) when I started dealing with continuous breakouts. It just was a new problem with which I had little experience.  Apparently, as we age we may continue (or start) to fight bouts of acne because of the different hormone fluctuations.  It also doesn’t help that we have the added stress of an often hectic lawyer lifestyle that increases our chances of acne breakouts.  It’s a really vicious cycle. For those working on their…