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Ending the Latina Dropout Problem
I listen to the amazing Latinos USA podcast every week–it’s my absolute fave NPR program, second only to the late, great It’s All Politics, RIP :(. Last week’s story focused on Latinas and confidence–the first story pinpoints the problem with Latinas, confidence, and education (discussion starts at 3:3o). I think the producer identifies the problem incredibly well when she states that often Latinas struggle to feel empowered because we fear that we’re taking something from someone. This idea that if we feel too confident, too secure in ourselves and our goals, then we’re doing something wrong. I agree with her assessment and think this is a struggle many Latinas face when…
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Ready for Spring!
March is almost here! I’m so ready for it! Not just because it’s my birthday month, but because we finally will start seeing a few signs of Spring. For those of us living in real winter weather, we desperately need some sun and warmth! But February wasn’t so bad! We discussed: Balancing professional requirements that conflict with our natural style; Keeping the winter blues at bay; And discussed a new creed for the Latina Lawyer. As we wrap up the month, I’m sharing some favorite stories from this month: New verse, same as the first–patronizing advice to women attorneys and what we wear. Slate offers a great analysis on revenge…
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Finding the Mentor You Need
My image of mentorship is something that I have never really experienced. Starting my career, I always envisioned having a mentoring relationship with another attorney, hopefully Latina, who would be able to guide and advise me throughout my work. Someone who I would touch base with every couple of months that was interested in helping me succeed. There are mentor relationships that are like this, but this isn’t something I have experienced. Instead, I have been really lucky in connecting with professors, lawyers, and other professionals that have given me bits and pieces of guidance and advice. When I look back at the people who helped me, I realize that one…
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The Latina Lawyer’s Creed
A few days after the Superbowl I read an article about Malcolm Butler, a player for the Patriots who had been working at a Popeye’s a few years earlier. He credited his “confidence, faith, and hard work.” as the reason he had made it. That statement resonated with me so much: confidence, faith, and hard work. It jumped out at me because I realized that this phrase outlines exactly how Latinas can succeed in the law. First and foremost, confidence is key. I’ve said my piece about humility and while that often is a virtue in our cultures, being too humble can lead to stagnation. Instead, when we strive to project self-confidence…
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Quick and Healthy Breakfast Options
I’m one of those odd people that don’t really enjoy breakfast food. I know–I’m a freak. I just have more of a salt tooth than sweet and most American style breakfasts are so heavy on the sweet. Also, around the time I turned 16 I stopped eating breakfast (and hello, all of Freshman year in high school I stopped eating lunch–I was the epitome of healthy eating). I eventually starting eating lunch and dinner, but never got back on track with eating breakfast. I was a two-meal-a-day (plus snacks) person for the majority of my life. It wasn’t until law school graduation, when I started seriously reviewing my unhealthy eating…
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Re-Gaining Momentum: How to Keep the Winter Blues at Bay
When I started at my first job post-law school it was a week from Thanksgiving. By the time January and February rolled around, I was still so immersed in learning new material, getting accustomed to my work’s culture, and just being thrilled to have a job that everything went smoothly. Imagine my surprise, when a year later, I started feeling a sense of ennui and lack of motivation. I think most people experience a type of post-holiday funk or a mild case of the winter blues. Once the shine of being a working attorney wears off, the reality is that we’re working long hours and often aren’t home until it’s…
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Breaking Law School Barriers: Law School Essays
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. Nothing seems to stop people in their track more than having to write about themselves. It’s a hard endeavor. I see it all the time in clients who have to write statements about certain events in their lives. The client and I are going along just fine, and when we move on to the next step of writing their statement,…
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Romantic Information: Balancing Love and the Law
I recently read an article where a marriage was quickly going south. One of the partners said that they had thought their marriage was in the bag and decided to focus on other areas instead, which led to the slow dissolution of the relationship. Anyone in a relationship quickly learns that if you don’t put in the time and dedication then the relationship will not work like it once did. As attorneys, we sometimes have to deal with added pressures of the job that can seep into relationships and make it harder. These added stresses could be why women attorneys have a higher rate of divorce. So seeing that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day,…
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Spotlight On! Immigration and Criminal Defense Attorney Cynthia Santiago
This is another installment of the series, Spotlight On! A series where we showcases Latina lawyers and learn about the early successes in their careers. Today I’m excited to share a little bit about Cynthia Santiago, an immigration and criminal defense attorney. I “met” Cynthia through Instagram and was impressed by her hustle through her solo practice and her community engagement, see Cynthia’s decision to give her answers in English and Spanish, which highlights her desire to ensure everyone in the community is informed and aware. Once I learned that she had previously ran for political office I knew it was necessary to share her journey with everyone! When did you start…
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Big Spender: Paying for the Bar Exam
Everyone knows that this is an expensive profession. Getting into law school costs money; being in law school costs money; and being admitted into the bar costs a lot of money. Aside from paying for the bar application ($500+), you also have to pay for a prep course ($1000+) and it’s strongly encouraged you don’t work during this time. Obvi, this is super easy because we all are trust-fund babies that survive on light and air so we don’t have to worry about rent, food, or bills. :/ Ok so actually not so easy. I remember the last semester of law school just feeling this constant pressure of always thinking, “how…