Summer Series: Taking Control of 1L Year

Our Summer Series is a wrap!  We conclude with Domonique, an incoming 1L, who describes what she’s doing to take control of her law school experience before it even begins! Special thanks to all the contributors for this series! It was invigorating to read about all the different paths taken to become lawyers.

Hola mujeres! My name is Domonique and I will be starting law school in exactly 3 weeks. I am a Chicana born and raised in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, CA. My family is originally from Michoacan, Mexico. For the past six years I have been away from home completing my undergrad in Oregon, giving a year of service with City Year Chicago, and working in New Mexico. Deciding to go to law school was one of the most certain decisions I have ever made. I knew from the get go that I wanted to pursue public interest but I am passionate about too many social issues that it’s difficult to decide on one.

The anticipation of choosing a school and preparing oneself for 1L year can be daunting! As someone who knew no attorneys and will be the first person in her family to receive a professional degree, I was worried that I would be starting WAY behind my classmates. Now, I am not an expert on how to positively deal with that anticipation but I can definitely share what I have done in order to prepare for what is to come. In the wake of my anticipation, I:

• Got involved with legal services organizations – Unlike some of y’all, I had never worked in a firm or with lawyers before applying to law school. During application season I began volunteering at an immigration non-profit where I learned more about immigration law and interacted with real life lawyers who were making a difference in their community. Fortunately, I was able to secure an internship in Los Angeles with a legal non-profit where I interned the entire summer. While most of my job consisted of outreach for our legal clinics, I also had the opportunity to attend them. Most of our volunteer lawyers came from big firms which taught me what OCI is, how big law treats pro bono, and the different experiences attorneys have had in that field. Now, I can name some of the big firms and easily understand what “in-house counsel” means or tell you more about how limited scope clinics work in respect to client-attorney relationships. All in all, being around lawyers and interning with a legal aid organization has helped me feel less anxious about what I don’t know. Although I don’t know everything about law or the legal field, I made great contacts who are open to guiding me through.

• Signed up for every opportunity at my chosen institution: First of all, making a decision about what law school to attend can be difficult! It all depends on what aspects of the school and your goals matter most but even once you make the decision and put your deposit down, there can be a feeling/thought of “DID I MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION?” In an effort to combat that feeling, I started attending any and every opportunity the school presented to us. This included the main Admitted Students Day event, the Latino Admitted Students Day event, and a great 2 day mock class/lecture. With each passing event I attended, the more sure I was about my decision to attend the school I chose. The Latino student club made the school feel welcoming for Latinos and made an especially big effort to include family adaption to their events. The admitted students day debuted professors that were not only passionate about their work but also about the achievement of their students. I began feeling calm knowing that it was going to be a place where I would feel welcomed and able to make lasting relationships with my professors. Attending these events also opened my eyes to the fact that not all incoming students are knowledgeable about the legal field. It was comforting to know I wasn’t the only one!

• Spent time with loved ones: As you might imagine, my family is ECSTATIC that I moved back home – especially knowing that I will be tied down in the area for at least 3 years while I attend law school. Similarly, I am incredibly happy to be back in my hometown near those who are my support and motivation for what I do. However, I knew that 1L year would not be the time for me to catch up with friends and family I haven’t seen in 6 years – much less allow me to play a big role in their lives. So, throughout the summer I tried my best to take advantage of every opportunity to meet up with those I haven’t seen in a long time. Those free plans and spontaneous get togethers have been a little suppressed by some critical news we received at the beginning of the summer regarding one of my grandparents’ health. Yet, on the bright side, the news has allowed me to spend more time with my grandparent than I have spent with them since I was in high school which has been both special and important to me. The experiences that my loved ones and I have faced are the driving force in my passion for justice. Being able to reaffirm my convictions of social justice through my loved ones has made me feel like I can handle 1L year. Overall, relaxing with family and friends has really helped me mentally prepare for what is to come. It has given me the chance to warn them that I may be M.I.A the next year and allowed me to be more accepting of the fact that I may not see them as much.

As the start date for law school quickly approaches, I can say that I am much more prepared – mentally – to start my 1L year. After months of listening to others tell me their experiences, good and bad, I am ready to get a feel for it myself. While I still have worries about class material and dynamics, I know that I am a JD candidate for a reason and I will put in the work that needs to be put in. For all my fellow incoming 1L Latinas wherever you may be, I wish you nothing but the best!  ¡Si se puede!