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Too Late to Say Sorry
Early in the year a new app was released to help women gain some power at work by eliminating qualifiers in their speech. Words like, “just,” “sorry,” “I think,” etc. The idea is that if your emails sound less like apologies and more assertive then that will lead to a better executive presence. Of course, there was also backlash because why is it always women’s behavior that is judged? Men do a lot of odd things too but they are not judged as harshly as women. I totally get the stance behind this, to say F-U I’m going to speak how I speak and your judgement won’t stop me.…
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Spotlight On! Solo Practitioner Christina Alvarez
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 hear from Christina Alvarez, a solo practitioner in Florida! She paints a great picture of career progression through all the legal ranks–from paralegal to attorney/business owner (a path many Latinas opt to take before starting law school)! When did you start practicing? I started practicing law in September of 2014. I have also served as support staff in the roles of file clerk, receptionist, legal assistant, paralegal, and law clerk at various law firms in the Orlando area since 2007. What made you…
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Bar Exam Must Haves
So many are just weeks away from taking the February Bar! I remember hating the last two weeks because 1) all I did was study; 2) I was so ready for it to be over, but at the same time I was terrified to actually take the exam so it was a weird constant state of despair. For those that are taking the exam at the end of the month (or Super Planners, ready for July), I thought it would be useful to talk about some must-haves/must-dos/do nots for the day of the Bar: Must Have: Make sure you bring double the writing utensils that you need–even if you’re typing…
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Love & Self Care
Self-care is such a difficult concept because it’s encouraged so much, but there’s such a stigma when attorneys actually state that they need a moment of rest. I’ve cited a million times how attorneys have higher levels of depression and alcoholism than most other professions. Couple that with the high rates of diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses that Latinos face and many of us are putting ourselves on a path that will be difficult to overcome. What if instead, we knew going into our profession the importance of taking care of our mind and bodies so that we didn’t allow the stressors of the profession to impact us so…
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Love & Cleaning Supplies: How to Manage Chores When Both Partners Work
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and this year, I wanted to discuss some practical advice that affects most couples that work outside of the home: gender roles and household duties. As in, when you both have demanding careers who is in charge of cooking and cleaning and must it always fall onto the woman? Yeah, definitely not romantic, but practical. I see many articles that cover this topic-two people suddenly cohabitating and then face an impasse when one is made the de facto cleaner. Or another assumes that because (s)he makes more money (or will make more money) they don’t have to contribute to the household in the same way. And…
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Get Rid of Stress in Ten Minutes or Less
If you follow me on Snapchat (and you should!) you saw that this week I had a crappy morning-so bad that I went off my regular tea-only schedule and bought myself a latte to feel better. I know that indulging in bad calories is probably not the greatest thing to do, but sometimes we just need the comfort, tu sabes. Anyway, I had a semi-hectic week (it got a lot better), but when combined with the anxious vibes I could feel from the soon-to-be attorneys studying for the February Bar, I found myself a little stressed out. It made me think that it would be a good idea to share…
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Latina Lawyers: Conquering the Corporate Ladder
Everyone needs to read this Fortune article- Why Race and Culture Matter in the C-Suite. The article discusses some experience black executives (men) have had in relation to their race. It’s pretty stark. There are very few who have successfully climbed the corporate ladder and those who did make it don’t feel like they fit in with the culture or other executives. That feeling of isolation is largely due to those with power making them know that they don’t fit in. In summary, it’s lonely at the top and many end up quitting to create their own entrepreneurial path. This article provides fantastic information for Latinas pursuing careers in the law—especially those…
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The Importance of Being Present
We’ve discussed reacting to inappropriate comments in class, but I think this topic is important to revisit because of the mental impact this can have on us as students of color. The reality is that for those students who are in more conservative environments or placed in sections that have little diversity the idea of having to sit through class and decide whether or not to speak up against ignorance is exhausting. So many students decide to not participate for their own mental health—because being labeled as the angry student, the agitator, the contrarian, etc. also impacts you beyond that specific classroom. So I get not wanting to be the…
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Skin Care to Beat Winter Dryness
This year I wanted to create content in different areas so I’m finally, slowly (very) working on video content, which I know lots of people prefer over reading. It’s an endeavor because I never knew how awkward it is to talk to a camera–it’s supes awks and I’m super awkward so that is weird, but I slowly am getting used to it. Let me know what you think! With that said, I thought it would be a simple first video to talk about skin care routine in the wintertime because the temperature in Chicago gets crazy disrespectful and my skin pays a major price. I’m sure we can all agree…
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Conquering the Bar Exam with Kids
There’s no way I can imagine what it’s like to study for the Bar as a parent. I’ve mentioned before that I noticed that mom-law students were always the best prepared (so well organized!), but I can’t imagine the added stress of children + the Bar. It’s tough, no doubt. For those February Bar takers that are juggling the exam and their family responsibilities, we have a guest writer today: Ariana Marte. She gives some tips and advice for parents as they head into the last month before the Bar. This past summer I studied for the July New York and New Jersey bar exams, and my son turned…