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Veggie Quesadillas: Simple & Quick
When my husband and I married we were both kind of unsure about how we would handle dinner. Neither of us were particularly good cooks, and I had so many evening classes that for our first year of marriage we kind of just did our own dinner thing. After I graduated, I had three months of unemployment after the Bar and so I randomly decided that dinner would now be my thing. Surprisingly, it turned out that I was a pretty good cook. It’s so funny how you can have talent for certain skills and you won’t know how good you are until you try–thats a subtle reminder for myself…
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Financially Surviving 1L Summer
Last week, I saw my supervisor from my first summer job as a 1L and I realized it’s been seven years (!), since I emailed her hoping that she’d hire me as an intern. Time flies guys! It was a great summer, but, like usual, it was not easy financially. I remember hearing of other students getting unpaid clerkships or needing to sublets apartments and all I kept thinking was how can they afford it?! And then as spring drew closer and closer, all I could think was how was I going to afford my summer? 1L summer can be a little tougher than 2L summer because many positions for…
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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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Ending the Latina Dropout Problem
I listen to the amazing Latinos USA podcast every week–it’s my absolute fave NPR program, second only to the late, great It’s All Politics, RIP :(. Last week’s story focused on Latinas and confidence–the first story pinpoints the problem with Latinas, confidence, and education (discussion starts at 3:3o). I think the producer identifies the problem incredibly well when she states that often Latinas struggle to feel empowered because we fear that we’re taking something from someone. This idea that if we feel too confident, too secure in ourselves and our goals, then we’re doing something wrong. I agree with her assessment and think this is a struggle many Latinas face when…
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The Latina Lawyer’s Creed
A few days after the Superbowl I read an article about Malcolm Butler, a player for the Patriots who had been working at a Popeye’s a few years earlier. He credited his “confidence, faith, and hard work.” as the reason he had made it. That statement resonated with me so much: confidence, faith, and hard work. It jumped out at me because I realized that this phrase outlines exactly how Latinas can succeed in the law. First and foremost, confidence is key. I’ve said my piece about humility and while that often is a virtue in our cultures, being too humble can lead to stagnation. Instead, when we strive to project self-confidence…
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Culture Conflict: Looking Latina
At Latinas Uprising, we talk a lot about forms of assimilation and how to “look” like an attorney. These discussions aren’t done because we believe that we should erase all forms of individuality or culture from our appearance; rather they are provided as a way to give guidance for those that haven’t had the chance to interact with the legal profession and want to learn how to be accepted by the legal community. Ultimately, the goal is to help people learn what it takes to be accepted as an attorney, but also encourage empowerment so that you are the one that decides what your appearance will entail, regardless of what the status…
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Chocolate for Work: Eyeshadow Options
I mentioned before that I really love makeup and I really love colorful makeup, especially a bright eye. When I was younger I would ignore the “don’t be matchy-matchy” rule and match my shadow to my outfit and I loved it! But, obviously, now that I’m older and working as an attorney bright blue shadow isn’t going to work while I’m talking to judges. Sad. But! that doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun with a neutral eye. So, today we’re comparing two palettes by Too Faced that are great options for work: Too Faced’s Chocolate Bar and their second edition, Semi-Sweet, offers a great variety of neutral eyes and mixes enough…
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A Latina’s Worth: Combating the Wage Gap
One of Latinas Uprising’s focal points, when it comes to discussing women, equality, and progress is almost always on women and the workplace; most importantly, women and the income we earn. The sad reality is that we earn a pittance compared to other groups and that impacts our quality of life (and that of our families), our earning potential, and our economic capital. So any raised awareness on the income disparity and how to close gap is very much welcomed! At a recent dinner with friends, the conversation turned to a good way to negotiate a salary (one friend was starting a new job). My naïve, idealistic side—the one that’s never…
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Before and After
Seven years ago, my husband (then boyfriend) and I celebrated our first Christmas together after finishing my first semester of law school. I recently stumbled across a picture of our tree: I have to smile at the sparseness of the apartment; the newspaper wrapping paper; and the window treatments because the apartment was always freezing! The struggle was real! Aside from upping my decoration game, this picture reminds of the difficulties of that first semester. During the midst of my first semester finals (and almost all the other final seasons thereafter), I always felt this constant pressure of anxiety that I’m sure many people feel. Would my grades be good…
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Starting your Job Search
Whether you were just sworn in a few weeks ago or have been a lawyer for a few years, dusting off your job search skills is never any fun. Looking for work is time-consuming, frustrating, and sometimes it seems never-ending. Unfortunately, it requires a lot of work upfront, but today we’re sharing five things you should consider doing to kick your job search into gear: One. Contact your contacts. Do all the people in your network know that you 1) graduated from law school, 2) passed the bar, and 3) are looking for work? Likely not. Consider sending a genuine individualized email to all your contacts (former intern supervisors, clinic…