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Game Plan the Bar Exam
I am all about to-do lists and making action plans to get to your goal. If your goal is to pass the the bar this summer then how are you going to do that? I remember starting my Barbri course just days after graduation and just jumping into the content. Then I realized how I apparently didn’t remember anything from 1L year because I kept scoring SO low in torts and I was sure that this was a sign that I wouldn’t be able to pass. The truth is that bar studies is a long-form game because you have to study, memorize, and recall content in the certain way, so of course,…
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Walkout: How Protests Lead to Increase Access to Education
There is a meme going around that shows two versions of Latinos: one is a group of college grads and the others are protesters. The image reads that the graduates’ actions (of going to school) speaks louder than the protesters. The idea being that we should keep our heads down, do the work, and our success will speak for itself. It’s an admirable thought, but it’s wrong. It’s wrong because it ignores our history. U.S. Latinx history proves that we achieve justice only when we fight for our rights. And Latino access to quality education is specifically tied to community protests where community members agitated, disrupted, and demanded civil rights…
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Sidebar: Don’t Throw Away Your Shot
Um, it’s already November (i.e. Sidebar time). That’s cray. October was so much fun though! First, work has been pretty steady so that’s always good. It’s immigration New Year, meaning visas are being issued now that it’s their new fiscal year and I’m waiting for approval notices to trickle in…so slowly. The backlog is a mess, but at least I am getting some approvals. We also celebrated Latinx History Month at work, which is super fun! My mom visited and she helped me work on making our own Loteria. I don’t think she expected to draw and color while she came up for the weekend, but quality time is quality…
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Uprooting The Seeds of Domestic Violence
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and it’s an important topic for me because I work daily with survivors of domestic violence. That’s the general reason why this matters to me, but another big reason why advocating for survivors of DV matters to me is because I also experienced & observed inter-family violence in the home as a child by my former step-father. One thing about me is that when I want to understand why something is happening, I like over-do it and research it to death. These life circumstances were no different, and by the time I was in middle school, I would seek out books about DV in…
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Battling Isolation and Loneliness as a New College Student
Can I tell you how hyped I was to start college? I was so excited! I had the full “traditional” American experience at a four-year university and absolutely loved it. Yet, I would see some students around me who hated it and I just didn’t get it. What’s not to love? There’s so much freedom and new experiences and friends and parties and learning etc etc. I didn’t get how people could feel lonely or dislike college—and then I went to law school and was like oh. I get it. The loneliness and feelings of detachment that many students of color experience when they start college smacked me in the…
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Sidebar: Deep in the Heart of Texas
Summer’s over, it’s chilly, I can get regular lattes again and not worry about sweating to death on my commute. Yay. I love fall. But I am still sad to see summer go only because I am so not ready for holiday chatter. Anyway, it’s time for a Sidebar post, where I share some more personal events going on in my life and work! I hope you share some of your going-ons as well! I’d love to get to know you all better! My favorite things for September included finally hosting a dinner party at our new home. We moved in June and I have been a mega-brat about it.…
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Five Ways to Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month as a Latina Lawyer
Love it or hate it, we’re about to get our annual dose of Latino-centered media and events to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month! I have always embraced this month because I grew up in a very homogeneous community with family too far away to really experience cultural/familial norms and traditions. LHM has always been a gateway for me to learn about my family, my culture, and the politics behind our community. While we should always be aware of Latinx accomplishments and struggles, I like having a specific time to really focus and recognize what’s going on. With that in mind, here is a little Latina History Month Must-Dos to help motivate…
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Goals: Making your way to Law School as an Undocumented Student
We are so lucky to have a guest post today by Brenda, a current undergrad student with law school on the horizon. She is also undocumented and has overcome the obstacles many of us or our family members have experienced. It is always so inspiring to see people in our community working so hard on their goals in spite of these huge obstacles. It helps put things in perspective for me and motivates me to push harder for true immigration reform. Here is Brenda’s story on her journey through higher Ed: Hello my loves! My name is Brenda and I am 23 years old. I was born in Guanajuato but raised…
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Journey to JD: When You Fail Law School
Law school is hard. Everyone knows that, but it’s not just hard academically, it’s difficult on an emotional level. Students are used to being the smartest in the room and we’re stripped down and re-structured so that we can think like a lawyer. This teaching model was very much created with one type of student in mind. When we are not like the “typical” law student we can struggle mightily to succeed. Today we have a guest post from J, a current law student, who wants to share that struggle with us. I think it’s important for us to see the grit, determination, and fight we often have to do as…
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Balancing Act: Dealing with the Guilt & Frustration Attached to your Finances
I was running out of data on my phone early this month and had to resort to reading during my commute. Usually I have a book, but this past week I decided to read my “guilty pleasure” magazines and I’m so glad I did! I’m a long-time subscriber to Glamour and was so impressed by this article on finances. The author focuses on helping young adults establish some financial standards for themselves, but through her writing she also revealed some struggles that first-generation professionals experience. I kept thinking, “omg, this is a struggle so many of us experience!” Yes, I said omg because somehow growing up in the Midwest I…