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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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What Happens When You Hate Law School?
There’s a (completely not true) saying that people either loved law school and hate practicing or they hated law school but love practicing. Obviously, the winning combo is the latter because you do that for longer. But having to do something that you seriously dislike for three years really takes its toll. And law school often has it’s highs and lows, so there are moments you’re loving it and times you really believe you’ve made a huge mistake. That kind of love/hate relationship is super common, but then there are also situations for people where there aren’t many highs with constant lows. You get to a point where you seriously consider…
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What Are You Doing For Others?
I am writing this in a mood I wasn’t expecting. I received news this morning that a beloved professor from my undergrad has passed away. When we stop and think about teachers that make a difference in our lives, this professor basically helped form how I approached discussing issues of race and gender. I’ve spoken about it before, but he so succinctly and clearly explained to me why it was important for me to speak up and I never shied away from taking a stand after that moment. A fleeting moment for him, I’m sure, but for me, it validated my experiences and concerns. I could go on and on,…
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Horrible Bosses
My first disclaimer is that thankfully, mercifully, I don’t work for any of the horrible bosses I’m about to describe, but it’s likely that sometime in our career we will find ourselves working under conditions that have been made impossible due to the person filling the leadership role. And when you have a bad boss it really sucks. It impacts your work, your skills, and your mental/physical health. Unfortunately, bad bosses are a symptom of bad leadership overall. Their behavior chases away good talent and the higher-ups are too lazy to manage these bad actors. Bad bosses come in all forms and I want to discuss the two that are…
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Latinas, You Should Go To Law School.
I feel like I’m breaking a code when I discuss the negative aspects about law school. Above all, I do not want to dissuade anyone from achieving their higher Ed goals. And the reality is that we need more Latinas in the law, for real, but I also want to give practical information and be as real as possible. And the reality is that the job market still sucks—especially for those interested in public interest/government jobs. There just hasn’t been a bounce back like we’ve seen in the private sector. This, on top of the crazy amount of student debt so many of us have to take on if we…
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Why Hasn’t Immigration Been A Priority?
I read the NY Times article this week and on top of the raids, it really made me think about our current state of affairs. I know we all have individual political leanings and beliefs that make it impossible to say Latinos are all this way. And I wouldn’t even say that immigration is my number one political issue, but I think it would be dismissive to not admit just how much immigration impacts our communities overall. It may not be my number one issue, but collectively, it has to be a priority for us. So we seek candidates that claim to support us, but I’ve been hearing about immigration…
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Setting Professional Goals
As practicing professionals, we can run a big risk of just putting in the work day-in and day-out without stopping to re-assess and re-align. Even if we have a few days off at the end of the year, most people rarely take a moment to really consider ways to start anew. And it’s important to assess what you’re doing (even if it’s not at the beginning of the year) because time moves fast and if you’re not careful, years will pass by and suddenly you’ll find yourself stuck in a rut, or you’ll make career changes and decisions without really thinking about the long-term results. That’s why I’m a big…
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New Year Motivation
A reader had the brilliant idea to share some motivational movies/reading materials for people pursuing the law. And what a better time to get some motivation than during the new year! For those on break, take the time to read or watch things that will inspire you to take on spring semester. For those practicing, any time is a good time to be reminded of why we do this. Now, these recommendations are mostly fictional and somewhat frivolous–I questioned whether to post this now in light of the recent events involving our criminal justice system; because honestly the motivation we should have as people of color is the constant injustices…
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What Will You Do To Get In? And What Will You Do Once You’re There?
I saw this image on Instagram and thought it was a good visual for how we need to be in order to create change in the legal field. We have to abide by the standards and customs to be admitted, but then once we’re in we have to do our best to become agents of change—big and small. I talk a lot about work culture, following cues, and finding ways to fit into work so that you can advance in your career. I do this knowing that there are some people ready to go in and create change by pointing out all the internal injustices that are wrong with our…