Legal Practice
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What to Focus on in Your Job Search Post-Law School
The time post-bar is usually filled with such relief and happiness. For the most part, it’s pretty stress free; especially if you were fortunate enough to line up a job before graduation. But for those that weren’t able to find something, this time is crunch time to make sure you’re employed by the time loan officers start calling in November. I’ve been there! Graduating at the height of the recession, hardly any of my fellow students had offers—it was a completely different world from 2007 to 2009; it was like the world just changed overnight. I graduated without a job offer and very little prospects. But I hustled liked hell…
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Throwback–Posts You May Have Missed in Our First Year
For those new followers (or just for those that would like a refresher), here are some of the earlier posts from Latinas Uprising that are worth a revisit–especially as a new school year starts and many others will begin new jobs in the weeks to come! How would you/do you react when you’re mistaken (sometimes on purpose) as the interpreter? Different shoe options when working in conservative law offices (side note: wedges forever!) The best way to study in law school is to Study How You Study! The importance of being an active alumna, even if (or especially if) you didn’t feel very welcomed at your educational institution. How to…
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Summer Series: Overcoming the Fear of Failure
Our Summer Series is winding down and we thought we’d end the Law Grad stories with Fulvia–not only is she a recent law school graduate, but she passed the New York bar this February and is newly licensed! Fulvia describes the fear and added stress many of us face(d) when studying for the Bar and how to push past it to meet your goals. My name is Fulvia and I am a recent graduate of Syracuse University College of Law as well as a newly admitted attorney (as of June 22, 2015!). I am originally from New York City and recently moved to Binghamton, NY after accepting a staff attorney…
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Summer Fashion Dos and Dont’s for Male Attorneys
I hate fashion advice that the status quo issues down to women. As if we’re too stupid to recognize what is appropriate or not. Or worse, sexualizing our clothing to diminish our capacity. Yes, her heels are high, but let’s not call them “prostitute shoes,” because, sorry to break it to you, but even sex workers can wear flats. So let’s not impugn women’s characters just because of their clothing. Thankfully, when faced with this sexist advice, women push back. I had been sitting on this post for a while, but was energized by Yvette Martinez’s response to an article encouraging women attorneys to “jazz up” their fashion for court.…
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Three Harsh Truths to Remember the Last Two Weeks Before the Bar Exam
The last two weeks of Bar prep oscillate between wishing the Bar exam were tomorrow so you can get it over with versus freaking out that you’ll never learn everything by the day of the test. The last two weeks are grueling, high paced, yet filled with hours that don’t seem to end. It really sucks. There’s not much you can do at the moment to alleviate the stress and anxiety. During this time, even I don’t recommend taking large chunks of time off to exercise or cook or to relax. Why? Because all the time you spend not studying will be mostly time stressed about the fact you’re not…
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Summer Series: Delicate Balance of Family, Bar, and Sleep.
Our Summer Series continues! This series highlights different Latina students and law grads as they embark in their summer jobs and/or bar prep all across the country. We hope to provide a variety of work experiences, options for a healthy work-life balance, and general motivation through different guest contributors to help you to take charge of your summer and professional goals! Today we hear from Bertha, a law school graduate studying for the Bar, and her advice on staying motivated to study while living with family (in beautiful Nicaragua no less!). I’m Bertha and I just graduated law school this past May after completing the four-year part-time J.D. program at…
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From Day to Night: Makeup for Networking Events
One thing I hate is lugging makeup with me back and forth to work. I keep some cosmetics at work (mostly lip balms and lotions), but I don’t take a full case of makeup to do touchups throughout the day. I just figure that by 5 o’clock everyone looks just as drained—and again, the culture of my work doesn’t really call for a full face of makeup throughout the day. However, whenever I have events in the evening, I always do my best to prepare so that my face looks bright-eyed and polished; especially when it’s a networking event with private attorneys. I mean, let’s be real, other legal aid…
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Summer Series: What Art can Teach Us about the Law
Our Summer Series continues! This series highlights different Latina students and law grads as they embark in their summer jobs and/or bar prep all across the country. We hope to provide a variety of work experiences, options for a healthy work-life balance, and general motivation through different guest contributors to help you to take charge of your summer and professional goals! Today, we hear from Roxanne, a rising 3L who is studying in Europe, and describes the intersection between Art and the Law. I’m Roxanne, rising 3L at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. I decided to study law because I realized that many people who are being taken advantage of don’t realize they…
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Controlling Emotions at Work: Anger
When we talk about women and emotions at work, the discussion usually revolves around whether crying is ok or not. I’d like to have that discussion some day, but I thought I’d start with a more common emotion that lawyers tend to experience at work: anger. I remember the first time I got really upset at work with an opposing counsel. We were having a telephone conversation and they were being so aggravatingly condescending. I was still a brand new attorney so I know now that part of my reaction was due to my pride. But o.m.g. was I pissed at how he was talking to me! He got nasty,…
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Summer Series: Balancing your Responsibilities with the Bar
Our Summer Series continues! This series highlights different Latina students and law grads as they embark in their summer jobs and/or bar prep all across the country. We hope to provide a variety of work experiences, options for a healthy work-life balance, and general motivation through different guest contributors to help you to take charge of your summer and professional goals! Today we hear from Ariana and her great tips on balancing your life responsibilities while studying for the bar! My name is Ariana, I just graduated law school and I’m currently studying for the NY & NJ bar exams this July. In addition to having a big Dominican family, I also had a…