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Taking Control: Applying to the Right Law Schools
Out of 200 choices, how do you pick? When it’s time to apply for law school, choosing which ones to apply to can feel overwhelming. Where do you even start? And each of the applications cost money? And what if you’re not sure that you’re T14 material, do you still just apply to the top schools? The first thing to remember is that the application process is a numbers game and while you shouldn’t limit yourself, you should be realistic about where to apply to make sure it’s the best option for you. And there are so many other things to consider beyond rank. Take my case, for example, I…
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Making the Right Choice: Picking Law Schools
When it comes to deciding where to apply to law school it may seem like you have 200+ choices and that can feel super overwhelming. But the reality is that based on your goals, needs, stats, and finances your options won’t be as vast. And that’s a good thing! Lots of people cast nets far and wide when they apply, which is one strategy. But if your finances are limited (like mine were) then you have to be judicious when it comes to deciding how many fee applications you want to pay for and that means really understanding what each school can offer you. When I applied, the LSAC fee…
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Where to Even Start: Law School Applications
One of the big barriers to starting the law school process is that there seems like there’s so much to do, so many steps to take, that it’s hard to know where you should even start. And frankly, this profession loves its exclusivity so it doesn’t make its process super accessible or knowable or affordable. If you’re going to go through the application process alone, it’s daunting enough to make you procrastinate or talk yourself out of it. But, nah! you can do this. Let’s what it through! When I applied for law school I just “knew” it was time because I didn’t take a gap year, but even though…
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Can I Even Do This? How To Determine If You Can be a Lawyer
Deciding to go to law school is difficult. There are so many factors everyone considers–is the cost worth it? will I be happy? should I move out of state or stay close to home? The overwhelming question many would-be applicants ask is “should I go to law school?” and more often than not, money is the factor. Can you manage the debt and will you earn a living that makes the debt worth it? But…for many of us, even before we get to “should I?” we experience a ton of self-doubt that asks not should you, but can you? Can you even go to law school and become an attorney?…
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Summer Series: The Importance of Seeking New Experiences
Summer Series is coming to a close (did this summer fly by or what?!) and I am so thrilled to share Nadia’s summer with all of you. Nadia decided to try something new to expose herself to different areas of the law, to re-align her purpose after 1L year, and decided to spend her summer as a judicial clerk and is sharing the nuts and bolts of her day-to-day. This is immensely helpful info if you’re a prelaw or just unsure about what clerks do (I definitely did not consider it when I was in school and had no idea how great it looks on a resume! so don’t be…
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Law School Lingo: Terms Law Students Should Know
Starting law school is excited until you feel like a fish out of water–you’ve never read so slowly in your life, you’re confused about the process, and often you’re confused about terms and phrases that other people just seem to know. I’m not talking about the latin phrases in case law, but rather a classmate talking about joining a white shoe firm. Like, what even is that? No fear, today, we’re sharing some law school lingo to review and refer to that will hopefully help explain this new world you’re joining. As you review these phrases you’ll notice I mention “prestigious,” “elite,” and “competitive” a lot. And well, welcome to…
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Summer Series: Fighting for the Environment
Summer Series 2019 continues! Today we have Natasha Viteri, a rising 2L who decided to use her first summer working on environmental issues. Environmental law lacks enough of us in the space, which is a shame because Latinx suffer so much from harmful environmental policies. Knowing this, Natasha hustled to get her internship and shares with us the tips that worked for her to get her internship! ¡Hola Hermanas! My name is Natasha Viteri and I am a rising 2L at the University of Colorado Law School. I am originally from Quito, Ecuador and I lived in Houston before moving to Boulder. This summer, I am interning at Earthjustice, an…
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Planting Seeds: Your 1L Summer Job
Many people say your first summer out of law school doesn’t matter and that is somewhat true. It’s not like the thing you do that summer locks you into that practice area for the rest of your life. So you do have a lot of wiggle room. However, this is also where you plant a seed. If you plan it correctly, this summer can be the stepping stone to your career. It can lead to more opportunities, connections, and give you a peek of what you want your career to look like. But just how do you decide what your summer will be like? Here is how I decided:…
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Does Rank Matter? Picking the Right Law School
How many have heard the advice to not go to law school if it’s not in the top ten? Or don’t go to law school if it’s not a free ride? Or just, don’t go to law school? As a reminder, there is a lot of general public opinion about who should go to law school and why. And very rarely does that general advice take into account the special circumstances many Latinas find themselves in when it’s time to apply. So when you hear advice that dissuades you from your goal, consider who is giving it to you and if you’re even the audience they’re considering when they offer…
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Pick your Passion: Big Law or Public Interest?
I have noticed a trend that I want to help stop. Recently, I have met with multiple people interested in public interest jobs, but have no public interest background. The thing with public interest is that we really like seeing people “committed” to the cause. As in, experience, and rightfully so because this work isn’t easy. Yes, all lawyering is difficult, but in PI you are dealing with the most vulnerable, marginalized groups and we need to know you’re capable and have an interest in advocating for these groups. So when I ask people with no PI background why they’re interested in legal aid–imagine my anger when they tell me…