Issues
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Creating Institutional Change
If you could change anything about your law school to make it better for Latinos or women what would you do? Would you want more professors of color? More mentorship opportunities? Administrators that handle sexist/racist comments correctly? What I wanted when I was in school was more litigation opportunities for the Latino students. At my school, moot court/trial advocacy was king and the advantages of being part of a team were very evident. Unfortunately, many times the school seemed ambivalent about whether or not students of color were privy to those advantages. For example, until I was a 3L, my school sent one team to the Hispanic National Bar Foundation’s…
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Slaying Goliath: Paying for Law School
The biggest hinderance to applying, attending, graduating from law school is: money. It is ridiculously expensive. unnecessarily so, and I do believe a huge reason why the cost is so high is an attempt to keep the status quo in order. Because who suffers more by not having all types of capable and intelligent people earn these degrees? Not just the students that can’t afford to attend the school, but also those communities in which the people reside–but that is a post for another day. While there is no excuse for the high cost, there doesn’t seem to be any real movement to make this an affordable degree. If you’re going to start law…
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Deciding on Appropriate Interview Attire.
On Monday we talked about preparing for your summer applications. Now let’s talk about looking the part during your interviews. The look you’re going for, regardless of the legal sector (private, public, government, etc) is: conservative. And the only real rule that applies to everyone, is that you have to wear a suit. Other than that, I’m a huge believer that as long as you look presentable, professional, and clean-that’s all that matters. Too bad I don’t run the world… In reality, there are a lot more “rules” imposed on women and how we should dress when interviewing. If you want to truly play it safe, most schools will…
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Confidence and the New Attorney
Bar results come out today in some jurisdictions!! Congratulations to all those that passed!! What an amazing feat!! While we hope you’re busy celebrating, we also want to take a moment to talk about the importance of confidence as you begin practicing law. For the most part, confidence is a self-given gift. You bestow it on yourself and say to hell with other people’s opinions and own your skills and abilities. It’s not easy getting there. Especially during your first few months in the legal profession. I never took as hard of a hit to my self-esteem and self-worth as the three years I spent in law school. My writing…
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Finding Your Voice In Law School
To talk or not to talk in class– that is the question. No one wants to be a gunner, and I won’t encourage people to talk in class just to show off–that’s not my jam. However, the unique thing about law school is that almost always there’s a forced participation by way of the socratic method. Sometimes you know it’s coming if the professor goes in some type of order; other times, you’re waiting (dreading) to be called. Because participation is inevitable, it’s important to have confidence in how you convey your opinion in class. Nothing screams timid and weak like someone that gets easily flustered and rolled over by…
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The Beginning.
It’s the last Friday of the month! How is it already almost October, Fall, and nearing the end of the year?! I don’t understand it. But this post is titled “The Beginning” because it is a new season and because tomorrow so many people will go take the LSAT, which is the official real beginning of the law school process. We wish all of the test-takers an abundance of great luck and calm minds. And for those Latinas taking the exam we want to scream: Si Se Puede! We are keeping our fingers crossed! For the last Friday post, let’s share some of our favorite stories from around the…
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Make Your Presence Known
Are you active alumnae of your school? College or law? I know many people, especially my fellow alumni of color, have no interest in contributing as alumni. Many had bad culture shock by attending universities with a low amount of minorities; others had to face blatant racism from ignorant students and faculty. Plus, you add up all the debt most of us are in (hello, I went to two private institutions), the horrible job market and it’s like–what have you done for me lately, right? I get it and can definitely understand that sentiment. But at the same time, I’ll argue that it is vital for alumni of color, especially…
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Breaking Law School Barriers I: Finding Guidance
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. So you want to go to law school? Felicidades! I think it’s great and we need more women of color in the profession. There are a lot of questions that you’ll have to answer before you can take the right steps to get into school (finances being a big part), but before you even get to figuring out how to…
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In Defense of Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month and for many Hispanic/Latinos it’s not such a happy occasion. I get it. It’s sometimes hard to swallow “celebrating” when we’re not just one culture and when there’s so much oppression and injustice inflicted on Latinos. I get that this month can sometimes seem like lip service. But, nonetheless, I’m here to defend it. Not the name, or the fact that it tries to encompass so many different cultures in one, but the general intent and the positive impact it can actually create. Because while it may seem like pandering to some, for other Latinos celebrating HHM can be…
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A Little Help From My Friends
When I started law school there were maybe 15 latinos in my class, “the largest ever!” my school proclaimed. They put most of us in the same section as well, which I actually did not mind. Since then, however, throughout the U.S. the number of hispanic students entering law school continues to decrease. The impact of few people of color earning J.D.s will have long-reaching ramifications. A J.D. is empowerment. If the people in power continue to only come from the same type of background, with similar forms of privilege, then real change will be a slow and dismal. Despite all of that, perhaps right now, you are in school,…