SideBar: Four Years In {Anniversary Post}
Four years ago, Latinas Uprising went live! I never, ever dreamed of how this community would unfold and how passionate I would become about diversity in the legal field. This site is a labor of love, and it brings me so much joy to work on it, little by little, everyday. Mil, mil, mil, mil gracias!
I want to share four questions I had to think about during these past four years:
One. Is there a need? The biggest question I had when I started this was whether or not there was an audience. I knew I had struggled in law school and even when I did my research, I wasn’t sure if people really needed this. But slowly, a community formed. I love receiving confirmation that the practical advice has helped people in their journey. And just as much, I love how the “deeper issues” (cultural barriers, racial justice) receive just as much discussion and support. More than anything, I love being able to see a peek into the lives of the readers (mostly through instagram) and seeing how hard we work, how motivated we are, and how politically aware and active we are (Latinas al poder!). It makes me so excited for the future of this profession because no doubt as we take on more positions of power, we will create change–and I’m super down to fight in this lucha.
Two. Is there room for more voices? By far, my favorite part is summer series and lawyer highlights. I love showcasing so many other Latinas who are doing different things. While we face similar obstacles, our solutions and paths to a J.D. vary and all our experiences deserve a voice. I will continue promoting other voices within this site. But I’m also excited to see a swell of other Latinxs using their voice, unapologetically, to share knowledge, tips, and encouragement for others. More than anything, it takes a village to get us to our J.D. and to successfully start practicing and the more amigas we have cheering and guiding us the better!
Three. What is the future? Good question. I have some ideas. I love writing, I think it lasts longer than other forms of content and can be easier to consume, but I also know blogs aren’t the current trend. I do plan to move to other types of content, but also want to focus on projects that offer more permanency and gives more bang for your buck, if you will. I say all this with the caveat that I also have a full-time job that I enjoy and obviously has to take precedence over other things. But thankfully I have found a good balance and really feel like year four will be full of great accomplishments. Vamos a ver!
Four. The biggest lesson? Our voices deserve to be heard. The impact that the law has on our lives is often not seen, but is always felt–in policies, in regulations, and in actual case law. That there are only 1.3% of us in this profession means there are most definitely not enough of us sitting at the tables that make decisions that impact the lives of our family and communities. That has to change. We deserve access to opportunities and are just as capable of creating policy and law as any other social group. And yes, many times, we’re even more capable because of our life experiences. I’m thrilled to have this community and platform to share with one another and Latinas Uprising’s goal will be to continue to amplify policies, causes, and strong mujeres who are the future of the law.
Cheers to Year Four!!