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Your Goals Matter
First, sorry not sorry, but I can’t get off the Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter train–it was just such a good book! But it definitely has kept me thinking–in the novel, the imperfect daughter, Julia, struggles with meeting the standards her family sets and is more focused on creating a life for herself that’s different than what her small neighborhood has to offer–she wants to be a writer, go to college, see the world. Her parents don’t get why she can’t be happy to have a steady job and stay at home with her family. There were so many scenes where I was rooting for Julia and became just as…
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Pre-Law Prep: Mastering the LSAT
Disclaimer: I studied for the LSAT over a decade ago (I’m not that old though I swear! Lol). But back then, information was not as readily available so it was a struggle. What I have noticed that even with more info available to some, it is still a struggle for many of us because we don’t even know where to start. It’s easy to tell someone that they need to study for the LSAT, but how? And with what money? And with what time? And what are you even supposed to study? We’ve discussed the LSAT before, but how to really prep is a little different. First, if you can…
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Sidebar: It’s 2018 ya’ll
Ok so January seemed like it went on forever, right? Maybe because I had a ton to do and vacation at the end of the month so it just seemed to drag. Not in a bad way, just a slow way lol. Anyway, 2018 has been nice so far and different all at the same time. First, let me start with the nice. We celebrated NYE at a local Mexican restaurant called Adobo and it was just a really decadent dinner; filled with drinks and delicious food. Total gluttony and the perfect way to ring in a new year, imo. So that was a lot of fun. Soon after the…
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Dos and Don’ts for a New Attorney
You have a new job! Yay! I remember how exciting it is to start a new job (and what a relief it is to not have to keep job-searching!). If this is your first job as an attorney, it’s especially exciting because this is the place where you will learn what type of attorney you will become—and I don’t just mean what practice area you’ll focus on, but rather this where you’ll sharpen skills you don’t even know you have. And even more exciting, as a baby shark, this is where you’ll gain a sense of what type of cases/facts/and clients get you smelling blood in the water (gross). I…
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Play to Win: Using Respectability Politics as a Tool
I think one of the biggest things I struggle with here is how much I seem to push assimilation and accepting business norms. I dislike that I do it because when we abide by certain business norms set by those in power, we may end up believing (or portraying to others) that those norms are better than our own cultural standards. Or worse, we fall into a trap of believing that we’ll be accepted by those in power. I try to find a balance of discussing how most norms and ideals are created and enforced to advance those in power while at the same time, I take up a lot…
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How Much Should You Bare: Law School Essays
Recently, the discussion made the rounds about how students of color feel forced to discuss their trauma to receive admission or financial aid or some other form of access to higher education. Most of us have a general sense that we have to discuss something bad in our history to show why we’re “worthy” of admittance. It seems to be a trend in higher Ed to have to show your grit, which almost always comes from some negative experience. It’s bogus to have to reveal such personal and troubling histories to strangers and if you have to do it frequently (scholarship apps, different applications, etc) it can take a toll…
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Working Goals
Not to add more things on your plate, but if you’re on the resolution bus then I strongly encourage adding goals for work on your to-do list. When you start practicing, it is so easy to get into a day-to-day routine. Actually, that’s normal and what most people want! But the risk in this is that there is nothing that breaks up this monotony and suddenly you find yourself three or four years in with only minimal increase in skills or progress on your career goals. It bears repeating the career growth requires active participation, so why not take the opportunity of a new slate to figure out what you…
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Sidebar: It’s Christmas?
In what will surprise no one, this month got away from me. Obvi you could tell because content was sloooooow around here. My bad. In my defense, I was sick for the majority of the month so that really does a number on me. The month however started incredibly well! I saw Marc Anthony in early December and he was great! I only go to see Beyonce, but my husband (who does not speak/understand Spanish) thought he’d enjoyed Marc Anthony so we decided to go. He’s such an amazing performer! So I thought I was ending the year with a bang and then I went to bed with a weird…
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Latina Lawyer Gift Guide 2017
So I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I totally use the holiday season as an excuse to buy things for myself. Wooops. Secret is out. But I can’t be the only one! In the past, I’ve shared basic/classic items that all new attorneys and law students would like–and those are all still solid choices. But, this year I thought I’d share some of the items that I have been constantly using and that translate into easy gifts for either new attorneys or law students: Statement earrings. I really love statement earrings at the moment. They aren’t too distracting–like some of my noisy statement necklaces, but add so much…
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Sidebar: Oh, I live here.
It’s December. Omgah. It’s super cliche to say that this year went by fast, but like hoooow fast. We’re like propelling into nuclear war faster than I imagined. Oh, what am I the only one with the gnawing dread that our demise is upon us because we’re being held hostage by deranged lunatics beholden only to profits? I don’t think it’s just me. So yes, many times a day I have to check myself and push back the fear that is our new reality and pretend everything is ok. I stumbled upon this SNL skit and realized that I want to be the fry guys. Total obliviousness seems nice. OK…