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Bar Exam: Maintaining Focus
So, all you bar preppers, you’re really in it now. A full week in, I remember feeling like I didn’t know anything and getting scared sh*tless, just knowing that I wouldn’t pass. The entire summer, other than studying, my main thing was keeping my anxiety at bay. And I didn’t always succeed. It was rough. For some, this will be the big barrier you face this summer. The emotional toll studying for the Bar takes on you. There’s a constant barrage of thoughts: what if I don’t pass; how will I earn a living; am I wasting my time; how can I overcome the pain if I fail? It really…
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Why is Law School Terrible?
In college I attended a conference where a student discussed how he was finishing his 1L year. And he made the joke almost all law students have made since the invention of law school, which was DON’T GO! And everyone laughed, but I remember the guy’s eyes flashing with a glint of a little desperation, but then he smiled again and said he was joking. But was he? Are we just joking when we tell people not to go? Why is law school so horrible that we dissuade others from attending? I’ve covered before why the advice for most people to not attend law school doesn’t really apply to Latinas.…
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Eye on the Prize: What to Focus on During Law School Finals
While most of us are impatiently waiting for spring to get here, most law students are gearing up for finals and I do not envy you. I remember how overwhelming spring semester can be because not only do you have finals and other normal life responsibilities, but you also are prepping for the summer, and probably are dealing with oral arguments, maybe for the first time if you’re a 1L. It can just feel like too much. It’s normal to feel beyond stressed and overwhelmed, but it is also possible to manage everything that you have to do—very difficult, but possible. Here is what you need to keep your focus…
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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…
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Is Law School Right for Me?
Going into law school means starting the journey with eyes open. It means coming to terms with debt, finding ways to finance it, and really understanding whether you want to commit three years of your life to this. Three years isn’t a long time, but it’s long enough to do damage to your self-esteem, your bank account, your relationships, and you end up questioning your intelligence, talents, etc etc. It’s a mind-F. So you naturally are asking yourself, is law school for me? Honestly? No. Law school isn’t really for anybody–unless you’re one of those rare birds that really enjoys law school (no judgement, but I kind of am lol).…
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Your Goals Matter
First, sorry not sorry, but I can’t get off the Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter train–it was just such a good book! But it definitely has kept me thinking–in the novel, the imperfect daughter, Julia, struggles with meeting the standards her family sets and is more focused on creating a life for herself that’s different than what her small neighborhood has to offer–she wants to be a writer, go to college, see the world. Her parents don’t get why she can’t be happy to have a steady job and stay at home with her family. There were so many scenes where I was rooting for Julia and became just as…
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Pre-Law Prep: Mastering the LSAT
Disclaimer: I studied for the LSAT over a decade ago (I’m not that old though I swear! Lol). But back then, information was not as readily available so it was a struggle. What I have noticed that even with more info available to some, it is still a struggle for many of us because we don’t even know where to start. It’s easy to tell someone that they need to study for the LSAT, but how? And with what money? And with what time? And what are you even supposed to study? We’ve discussed the LSAT before, but how to really prep is a little different. First, if you can…
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How Much Should You Bare: Law School Essays
Recently, the discussion made the rounds about how students of color feel forced to discuss their trauma to receive admission or financial aid or some other form of access to higher education. Most of us have a general sense that we have to discuss something bad in our history to show why we’re “worthy” of admittance. It seems to be a trend in higher Ed to have to show your grit, which almost always comes from some negative experience. It’s bogus to have to reveal such personal and troubling histories to strangers and if you have to do it frequently (scholarship apps, different applications, etc) it can take a toll…
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Latina Lawyer Gift Guide 2017
So I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I totally use the holiday season as an excuse to buy things for myself. Wooops. Secret is out. But I can’t be the only one! In the past, I’ve shared basic/classic items that all new attorneys and law students would like–and those are all still solid choices. But, this year I thought I’d share some of the items that I have been constantly using and that translate into easy gifts for either new attorneys or law students: Statement earrings. I really love statement earrings at the moment. They aren’t too distracting–like some of my noisy statement necklaces, but add so much…
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Find your Focus: Law School Finals
I’ll be honest and tell you that I do not envy law school students this time of year. Ok, I rarely envy law school students lol BUT this time of year is especially harrowing. There are so many deadlines and pressures looming over you. It feels impossible, even though it’s not. For those about to start to pressure-cooker that is law school finals, know that it’ll be ok and you’ll get past it–all you have to do is focus on exams. “No duh,” you say. But here’s the thing, often we are so overwhelmed (or confused) that we fail to study in a productive way. I remember going into my…