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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 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…
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Culture Conflict: Extracurricular Activities and Latinos
Last week we talked about the importance of cultivating soft factors for law school. Most of that entailed getting involved in activities outside of school. However, I’m classifying getting involved in extracurriculars as a cultural conflict because Latino involvement in these programs is the lowest compared to other ethnic groups. There are many reasons why our participation is low: 1) our cultures really encourage children (girls, especially) to stay home; 2) finances may severely limit a family’s ability to pay for extraneous things; 3) parents (who may not have obtained their education in the U.S.) don’t understand the importance of these activities or connect how they relate to advancement in education;…
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Happy Latina Feminist: We Should All Be Feminist Review
I know I just did a book review a few weeks ago, but this isn’t technically a book review (oK?). We Should All Be Feminist by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is actually a transcript of one of her speeches given at a TEDx talk, which you can listen to here. It’s such a fantastic description of feminism and what it means to really use critical thinking skills to dissect how gender roles impact us and what we can do to work towards a more equal society. It also bases much of its premise on, what seems to me to be, common sense. I really encourage people to listen to her speech…
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Latinas and Domestic Violence.
A friend from law school works in an agency that represents survivors of domestic violence and posted this poignant and incredibly sad alter for Day of the Dead to honor the murdered victims of domestic violence. As someone who works first hand with DV survivors this really struck a chord, I hear countless violent stories of survivors who barely made it out on time—and then there’s so many incidents of choking/head trauma that make me worry about the future health of those clients. Unfortunately, DV is a major problem in all communities, including ours. One in three Latinas will experience physical inter-family violence in their lifetime. This means that too…
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Notorious RBG, A Book Review
It’s hard to not sound like a fan girl when discussing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but there’s good reason to be her fan! It may sound like an exaggeration to say she paved the way for gender equality in the law, but when you study women jurisprudence you can see how vital she is to this movement. So imagine how excited I was to be able to review Notorious RBG*!? Super excited. However, I’m going to calm down my inner fan girl and give this book an appropriate review. The book is written by journalist Irin Carmon and attorney, Shana Knizhnik. I have often wanted to read more about RBG,…
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Celebrating Accomplishments: Si Se Pudo
It’s that time of year again–Bar announcements. And I’ve seen many have already gotten really great news! Felicidades! It’s such an exciting time! So this seemed like a great time to talk about the importance of acknowledging professional accomplishments. A common theme we see as women is that our professional achievements aren’t celebrated as strongly as events tied to family. This article does a great job of describing the problem. I also remember reading an article years ago where a girl from a small town, where many of her peers couldn’t go to college because of teen pregnancy, graduated high school and was accepted into college. Her achievement was so foreign…
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Using Our Political Power During Hispanic Heritage Month
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (or Latino Heritage, if you prefer) in these times is a bold statement. Unfortunately, at this moment there is an undercurrent, a fervor that feels very much anti-Latino. Yes, the focus seems to be on immigrants—and while fewer and fewer Latinos are identifying as immigrants, it’s hard to separate us from this issue. To me, being anti-immigrant is the same as being anti-Latino. People may try to make distinctions—oh I’m not anti-immigrant, just illegal immigration—but the vitriol feels very personal. It’s perfectly reasonable to feel angry at this mistreatment—and it should make us angry that there are people who are, allegedly, trying to earn our…
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Being a Leader: Giving Constructive Criticism
I remember when I first started working with interns and I didn’t know how to give them appropriate guidance or instruction–I was a brand new attorney myself so it just didn’t feel natural to manage others. Then as I got more comfortable with giving guidance, I realized I would hit a stumbling block when it came to giving real feedback. In fact, I would avoid it most of the time because I just didn’t know how to do it without sounding mean–and that’s wasn’t really helpful for me or the student. When it comes to giving constructive criticism it can be especially difficult to do when you’re a new attorney.…