Legal Practice
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You Don’t Have to be Nice
I recently finished Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and aside from being super funny, one comment caught my attention right away. In the pilot, one of the Indiana Mole Women says that they followed the Rev to his car because she didn’t want to be rude. Matt Lauer casually comments that he’s always amazed at the lengths women will go through to not be seen as rude. I definitely laughed, but it was such a true statement. Too often, we are trained to be nice and polite above even our own comfort. Little girls are always told to be nice, to be polite, or to not make waves. We apologize for our opinions (prefacing almost all…
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Long Nights, Bright Eyes: Looking Alert after Working Late
If you follow Latina Uprising on Instagram (and you really should because the community on there is so awesome!), then you saw my post last night about having to work late. I really have no room to complain because in all the years I’ve been practicing, I’ve rarely had to stay extremely late or come in during the weekends. Of course that is the trade off with working in public interest; the money is low, but we aren’t chained to our desks and can expect a better work life balance. But in every legal practice there will be some late nights and the last thing I like to do is…
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Getting Comfortable with Self-Promotion
I recently read this article from Harvard Business Review on networking and why it doesn’t always work for women. It seems that for women, it’s less “who you know” and more “what kind of work you produce,” when it comes to being hired/promoted. In other words, men are being given the benefit of the doubt based on potential, while women have to show measurable accomplishments. We’ve previously discussed the importance of being able to promote yourself and to eschew the ever-valued Latino custom of humilidad. And we’ll keep pushing those ideas until studies show us that the tide has changed. Until then—what can you do to showcase your accomplishments, especially…
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Bright Colors, Conservative Office: Nail Polishes for Spring
I’m so excited that it’s finally spring! Even though it actually snowed on Monday in Chicago–but still! Spring is almost here and I’m so ready for nicer weather. One of the fun things I like about Spring is that I get to slowly transition into lighter, brighter makeup–including nail color! Obviously how light and bright you can go depends on your work setting. Generally, it’s safe to go for pastels or lighter neutrals as you ease into spring. However, some law firms are so conservative that any colorful nail polish is a no-go. Sad! And of course, you probably shouldn’t wear colorful nails in court until you know the culture…
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Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable: How to Approach Legal Practice
The other day I was trying out a new workout DVD and the instructor encouraged/yelled at us to, “get comfortable with being uncomfortable!” and that hit me with a sudden realization that this is the perfect way we should approach our legal practice—especially when it comes to being in awkward situations; whether they be networking, teaching, or participating in public forums. The idea of embracing discomfort means that we seek out things that challenge and push us so that we can take our skills and practice to the next level. In my case, I really wanted to increase my public speaking skills because I am transactional attorney 95% of the…
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How to Network With Higher Income Brackets
It is common to feel like an outsider within the legal profession because we often have to network and work with people that have always been in higher income brackets than what we have experienced. It is just statistics that we enter this profession having to navigate a system that involves working and connecting with a richer crowd—richer in both finances, resources, and in experiences that are better appreciated by the status quo. For example, when a colleague from a wealthy family is able to backpack through Europe, a hiring partner may see that as valuable life experience. In contrast, our life experiences that may consist of working part-time jobs to help our…
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A Rock and Hard Place: Negotiating Salaries as Women
When I was a 2L, my Women’s Law Society brought in a group called WAGE to talk about salary negotiations. It was an eye-opening experience and I’m so grateful that WLS opened my eyes to the wage gap and helped us learn skills to push back and feel confident in negotiating our salaries. When I started my job and received my offer, I knew I didn’t have much wiggle room because our salaries were based on our Union contract, but I still made it a point to see the COO so that he could explain to me the reasoning behind the offer. Mostly, I just wanted to feel comfortable and…
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Executive Presence: Gaining Respect at Work
About a year ago, I started noticing an odd trend at work. People would ask for my advice on how to move ahead on a project; I would give them my advice; and then they would hurry off to get a second opinion, as if they didn’t trust what I had to say. Once I realize that this kept happening, I got a little annoyed. On the one hand, I see the value in getting a second opinion, but if you are constantly re-confirming what I’m telling you then stop wasting my time and just get your first opinion from someone else, you know? Obviously, that is not the right attitude…
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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…