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 to practice law, I took a law class in undergrad on a whim and fell in love.

What area of law do you practice? Family Law

What is a typical day like for you in your work? Busy, busy, busy. I have never been one to just focus on one thing. A balancing act of different jobs and activities has always been a must. Not only do I work as a family law attorney, a family law mediator, and social investigator, but I am also very active in community by giving back any way I can.

How did you get started in this area of law? When I took family law as a 2L I just fell in love. I then took the family law clinic for a full year as a 3L and just knew it was the area of law that I wanted to do.

What do you find most challenging and most rewarding about your job? The most challenging would have to be the emotional aspect of the job. I empathize with clients, but sometimes it is difficult to not take my work home with me The most rewarding aspect of my job is finding the best circumstances and dynamics that suit a family unit.

What is your best survival tip for current law students? Make sure you get enough rest. Law school is a marathon and not a sprint. You are training yourself for the finish line so don’t burnout too quickly.

For Latinas considering law school, what advice would you give them to succeed in their law school career? Make sure they never let anyone tell them they can’t make it. As a double minority there will be many battles to fight, but when you walk across that stage at graduation, pass the bar, and get your first job it will all be worth it.

Finally, at Latinas Uprising, we focus on living a life well-lived. What’s something you do (or try to do) to help reduce the stress in your life and create a healthy lifestyle? I love taking my dog for walks. It is great for both of us. I will never forget studying in law school and for the bar and rewarding myself with a nice walk after a questions set, reading assignment, video, etc…