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Love & Self Care
Self-care is such a difficult concept because it’s encouraged so much, but there’s such a stigma when attorneys actually state that they need a moment of rest. I’ve cited a million times how attorneys have higher levels of depression and alcoholism than most other professions. Couple that with the high rates of diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses that Latinos face and many of us are putting ourselves on a path that will be difficult to overcome. What if instead, we knew going into our profession the importance of taking care of our mind and bodies so that we didn’t allow the stressors of the profession to impact us so…
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Love & Cleaning Supplies: How to Manage Chores When Both Partners Work
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and this year, I wanted to discuss some practical advice that affects most couples that work outside of the home: gender roles and household duties. As in, when you both have demanding careers who is in charge of cooking and cleaning and must it always fall onto the woman? Yeah, definitely not romantic, but practical. I see many articles that cover this topic-two people suddenly cohabitating and then face an impasse when one is made the de facto cleaner. Or another assumes that because (s)he makes more money (or will make more money) they don’t have to contribute to the household in the same way. And…
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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…
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Latina Lawyers: Conquering the Corporate Ladder
Everyone needs to read this Fortune article- Why Race and Culture Matter in the C-Suite. The article discusses some experience black executives (men) have had in relation to their race. It’s pretty stark. There are very few who have successfully climbed the corporate ladder and those who did make it don’t feel like they fit in with the culture or other executives. That feeling of isolation is largely due to those with power making them know that they don’t fit in. In summary, it’s lonely at the top and many end up quitting to create their own entrepreneurial path. This article provides fantastic information for Latinas pursuing careers in the law—especially those…
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The Importance of Being Present
We’ve discussed reacting to inappropriate comments in class, but I think this topic is important to revisit because of the mental impact this can have on us as students of color. The reality is that for those students who are in more conservative environments or placed in sections that have little diversity the idea of having to sit through class and decide whether or not to speak up against ignorance is exhausting. So many students decide to not participate for their own mental health—because being labeled as the angry student, the agitator, the contrarian, etc. also impacts you beyond that specific classroom. So I get not wanting to be the…
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Skin Care to Beat Winter Dryness
This year I wanted to create content in different areas so I’m finally, slowly (very) working on video content, which I know lots of people prefer over reading. It’s an endeavor because I never knew how awkward it is to talk to a camera–it’s supes awks and I’m super awkward so that is weird, but I slowly am getting used to it. Let me know what you think! With that said, I thought it would be a simple first video to talk about skin care routine in the wintertime because the temperature in Chicago gets crazy disrespectful and my skin pays a major price. I’m sure we can all agree…
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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…
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What Happens When You Hate Law School?
There’s a (completely not true) saying that people either loved law school and hate practicing or they hated law school but love practicing. Obviously, the winning combo is the latter because you do that for longer. But having to do something that you seriously dislike for three years really takes its toll. And law school often has it’s highs and lows, so there are moments you’re loving it and times you really believe you’ve made a huge mistake. That kind of love/hate relationship is super common, but then there are also situations for people where there aren’t many highs with constant lows. You get to a point where you seriously consider…
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What Are You Doing For Others?
I am writing this in a mood I wasn’t expecting. I received news this morning that a beloved professor from my undergrad has passed away. When we stop and think about teachers that make a difference in our lives, this professor basically helped form how I approached discussing issues of race and gender. I’ve spoken about it before, but he so succinctly and clearly explained to me why it was important for me to speak up and I never shied away from taking a stand after that moment. A fleeting moment for him, I’m sure, but for me, it validated my experiences and concerns. I could go on and on,…
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Horrible Bosses
My first disclaimer is that thankfully, mercifully, I don’t work for any of the horrible bosses I’m about to describe, but it’s likely that sometime in our career we will find ourselves working under conditions that have been made impossible due to the person filling the leadership role. And when you have a bad boss it really sucks. It impacts your work, your skills, and your mental/physical health. Unfortunately, bad bosses are a symptom of bad leadership overall. Their behavior chases away good talent and the higher-ups are too lazy to manage these bad actors. Bad bosses come in all forms and I want to discuss the two that are…