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Latinas and Domestic Violence.
A friend from law school works in an agency that represents survivors of domestic violence and posted this poignant and incredibly sad alter for Day of the Dead to honor the murdered victims of domestic violence. As someone who works first hand with DV survivors this really struck a chord, I hear countless violent stories of survivors who barely made it out on time—and then there’s so many incidents of choking/head trauma that make me worry about the future health of those clients. Unfortunately, DV is a major problem in all communities, including ours. One in three Latinas will experience physical inter-family violence in their lifetime. This means that too…
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The Question to Ask during Mid-Terms: Am I doing Ok?
One of the most common problems with law school is that we barrel past every week without thinking much about what you just learned. This makes sense because who has time to sit down and think about past topics when you have so many new ones to learn, on top of papers, job applications, life… But it’s a big misstep to not stop and ask yourself during mid-terms: am I doing ok? And I’m not referring to mental health (though do stop occasionally to think about that). Rather, are you understanding the material? Do you get what the professors are trying to teach you? Are you forming and flexing the…
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Spotlight On! Family Law Attorney Jennifer Alfonso
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 we meet Jennifer Alfonso, a dynamic Latina lawyer. If you follow her on Instagram, then you know how refreshing it is to see that she really enjoys practicing law! Today she shows us what it means to trust your instinct even if it takes you to a place you didn’t at first envision for yourself! When did you start practicing? About a year and a half ago. What made you want to pursue a career in law? Being a journalism major and never wanting…
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Celebrating Accomplishments: Si Se Pudo
It’s that time of year again–Bar announcements. And I’ve seen many have already gotten really great news! Felicidades! It’s such an exciting time! So this seemed like a great time to talk about the importance of acknowledging professional accomplishments. A common theme we see as women is that our professional achievements aren’t celebrated as strongly as events tied to family. This article does a great job of describing the problem. I also remember reading an article years ago where a girl from a small town, where many of her peers couldn’t go to college because of teen pregnancy, graduated high school and was accepted into college. Her achievement was so foreign…
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Start Hustling Now: Preparing for your Summer Legal Job Search
It may seem too soon to start looking for summer jobs, but before you know it you’ll be frantically writing outlines, cramming for finals, trying to keep up with readings, and –oh yeah—apply for jobs. Knowing that there’s a huge time-crunch coming down the pike means you should what you can now so that you don’t half-ass your job search. I’ve mentioned before, but the end of October during my first semester in law school was one family issue after another. I, unfortunately, got distracted and suddenly it was second semester and I still didn’t have anything lined up. I got really lucky, but you shouldn’t depend on luck! While you’re…
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Fighting Back: Using our Power to Advance Education in the Latino Community
I recently read the article of a young Latina sharing her graduation with her parents who work in the fields. One thing that stuck out to me was the stress she felt while at school, worried that upon return home her parents could have been picked up by immigration. I’ve been realizing more and more just how overwhelming the added trauma undocumented children (and children of undocumented parents) must feel day in and day out at what the government could do to them and their families. Maritza Ramos, from OITNB, has also described the gut-wrenching feeling of coming home to a deported parents. I hear stories like this and think–what are systems of…
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Mastering Law School Classes
Law School classes are like no other because aside from reading often arcane cases and trying to figure out just exactly what’s happening in those crazy fact patterns, you also go into class with terror in your gut that you’ll be the one called on today and omg, what happens if I freeze?! It’s really quite stressful. The fear gets easier overtime, but what you really need to cultivate during the early part of the semester is paying attention so that you actually understand. I know it seems like a no-brainer, but law school is tricky. It tricks you into thinking you can listen and browse the internet at the…
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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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Overcoming Law School Anxiety
I remember the first few weeks before law school started and being really excited I was finally–finally–starting the last leg of my educational goals. But I also remember feeling lost and confused. I have homework before classes start? But I don’t understand what I’m reading… I’m not supposed to buy used books? But I can’t afford new books… You don’t recommend that I work during school? But I can’t afford my books! It was stress-inducing to say the least. For many people, the beginning of law school is exciting (and it should be!), but within the first few days, a lot of confusion and anxiety can creep in and turn…
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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…