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School Supplies for Law School
This week we’ve focused on pre-law work—and because so many are starting law school in a few weeks (!) we want to discuss some vital supplies to stock up on during the back to school sales. While almost all the work is digital, it’s still a paper-based industry in that you’ll be using real books, printing cases, and briefing cases. So what are somethings that will be super useful? Highlighters and tabs. If you’re not a highlighter person, you’ll likely become one so you may as well stock up now. Likewise, tabs are great for statutes so that you can find what you’re looking for immediately. I like the thicker…
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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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Summer Series: Finding Your Voice After 1L Year
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 Maria Celina, a rising 2L practicing hands-on lawyering at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, who shows us what’s it’s like to re-discover your passion in law & justice after surviving 1L Year. My name is Maria Celina Márquez and I am a rising 2L at The George Washington University Law…
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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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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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Turning your Internship into a Job
Let me paint a scenario of a time when I let a big opportunity slip through my fingers: The time: fall 2008, and I’m half-way into an externship with a really great agency. I turn in an assignment to my supervising attorney who reminds me that applications for summer internships at this agency are due in a week. Cue: me saying, “oh ok,” and totally missing the huge sign of my boss encouraging me to apply for a PAID summer internship. No, instead I decide to apply to a different agency that summer for an internship that does not pay me for my time (an internship I could have done during the school…
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Networking Basics: How to Master a Networking Event
Late spring/summer always seems to have so many networking opportunities. Usually there are events to help students network, but a lot of professional orgs and alumni groups have get togethers around this time as well. I remember the summer before starting law school I attended my first legit networking event and was kind of confused about what to do. Thankfully, with practice it gets easier (and sometimes it’s actually fun). But when you’re first starting out as a new professional, you really have to work on managing and maintaining your professional image at these events because you never know when you’ll cross paths again. Usually when people don’t seem to…
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Good-Bye Spring: Favorite Links!
May is always so eventful—aside from celebrating Mother’s day, Cinco de Mayo (I swear, I must have been a frat bro in another life), I also lived vicariously through everyone’s graduations. It was so great to see so many celebrate the accumulation of hard work along with so much determination to succeed in whatever new phase they were heading towards! Now, of course, I’m looking forward to summer in Chicago because there’s always so much to do, including visiting pretty pink flamingos at the Lincoln Park Zoo (highly recommend it!). This month we discussed: Study supplies for the Bar Exam (trust me on the tape and flash cards); Student loan…
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Goal Digger–celebrating accomplishments (and fave links)
Recently, I was reading a book that advised how a good way to keep your goals in track throughout the year: break the year up in thirds so that you can really stop to assess, analyze, and celebrate what you’ve done in the past few months, and then make a plan of action for the next period of time. I think I’m going to try that to see if how that helps me accomplish some goals. How are you doing so far with your goalkeeping for the year? I’m sure for many one big goal is getting accomplished–finishing law school! For those finishing up this month–muchas, pero muchas felicidades! And…