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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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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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Planning Ahead for the New Semester
I am so eager to get back into the rhythm of my normal. The last three months of 2015 were kind of out of control-I easily worked every weekend to meet some deadline/research. It was really out of the ordinary for my job. Thankfully, I think things are settling down and getting back to normal. Having said that, I really like the beginning of the year. It’s totally cliché, but the idea of starting fresh just really appeals to me. Maybe because I went to school for a million years so I’m still used to starting fresh in January. For those that are actually in school and starting a new…
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Life After Law School Finals
This is re-post from last year, but it still holds true! Enjoy your break! And for those of us practicing, take advantage of the season to indulge in self-care! Seven years ago, my husband (then boyfriend) and I celebrated our first Christmas together after finishing my first semester of law school. I recently stumbled across a picture of our tree: I have to smile at the sparseness of the apartment; the newspaper wrapping paper; and the window treatments because the apartment was always freezing! The struggle was real! Aside from upping my decoration game, this picture reminds of the difficulties of that first semester. During the midst of my first…
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Gift Guide: Law Students
I remember how eager I was for winter break my 1L year. First semester is no joke and it’s not just because it’s stressful–it’s also intimidating because you are so much in the dark about the process. Are you understanding the material? Will you know how to do the essay the right way? Will you beat the curve? What is the curve?! It’s tough. But here is some light towards the end of the tunnel: presents! If you’re looking for special items that law students will love here are some guaranteed favorites: Stress Relief. Manzanilla, lavender, etc all have some calming influences that law students need. Not only are…
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Final Freakouts: Handling Mishaps during Law School Finals
If you’re in the midst of studying for finals, you’re likely stressed (ha!) so I don’t want to add more to your plate, but I want to give a one small warning about finals. Not the study time leading up to the actual exam, but the day of and the (minimal) possibility of an emergency during the exam. An emergency meaning you have a mini-freakout because something goes awry. What would you do if your software exam crashes and you suddenly can’t type your exam? What if the person next to you has a cold that means they’re constantly making distracting noises? It may seem like overkill, but there is…
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Creating Good Habits in Law School
I’ve never felt a constantly physical ill feeling until I started law school and neared finals. It felt like such a do or die period and I was so 1) completely ignorant of the process and 2) incredibly nervous. I started having a lot of physical symptoms (b/c that’s how I manifest stress) that resulted in making a lot of bad choices because those brought instant-gratification and would quell my stress. But of course, that became a vicious cycle because often that bad choice would eventually make me feel worse–and did little to help my stress. I’m sure many of you who are starting finals are beginning to feel that…
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Stress and the New Lawyer
When you start a new job as an attorney it’s super exciting. Not only are you working at a job that likely pays more than what you’re used to; you are also working as an attorney–hello?! a major goal you’ve accomplished. It’s normal to be excited. But it seems that soon enough that excitement fades and it turns into stress. Yes, you’re being paid more but you’ve got student loans. Yes, you get to be an attorney, but maybe it’s not exactly how you envisioned; plus you’re working hard cases, long hours, in possibly tough atmospheres. How do we handle the realities of the day to day mental stresses? The…