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Ready for Spring!
March is almost here! I’m so ready for it! Not just because it’s my birthday month, but because we finally will start seeing a few signs of Spring. For those of us living in real winter weather, we desperately need some sun and warmth! But February wasn’t so bad! We discussed: Balancing professional requirements that conflict with our natural style; Keeping the winter blues at bay; And discussed a new creed for the Latina Lawyer. As we wrap up the month, I’m sharing some favorite stories from this month: New verse, same as the first–patronizing advice to women attorneys and what we wear. Slate offers a great analysis on revenge…
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The Latina Lawyer’s Creed
A few days after the Superbowl I read an article about Malcolm Butler, a player for the Patriots who had been working at a Popeye’s a few years earlier. He credited his “confidence, faith, and hard work.” as the reason he had made it. That statement resonated with me so much: confidence, faith, and hard work. It jumped out at me because I realized that this phrase outlines exactly how Latinas can succeed in the law. First and foremost, confidence is key. I’ve said my piece about humility and while that often is a virtue in our cultures, being too humble can lead to stagnation. Instead, when we strive to project self-confidence…
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Quick and Healthy Breakfast Options
I’m one of those odd people that don’t really enjoy breakfast food. I know–I’m a freak. I just have more of a salt tooth than sweet and most American style breakfasts are so heavy on the sweet. Also, around the time I turned 16 I stopped eating breakfast (and hello, all of Freshman year in high school I stopped eating lunch–I was the epitome of healthy eating). I eventually starting eating lunch and dinner, but never got back on track with eating breakfast. I was a two-meal-a-day (plus snacks) person for the majority of my life. It wasn’t until law school graduation, when I started seriously reviewing my unhealthy eating…
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Breaking Law School Barriers: Law School Essays
This series, Breaking Law School Barriers, tackles the big and small issues that come into play when you’re deciding if you’ll even attend law school. The purpose is to give practical advice for college students, and for current law students and attorneys to give suggestions about their real world experience. Nothing seems to stop people in their track more than having to write about themselves. It’s a hard endeavor. I see it all the time in clients who have to write statements about certain events in their lives. The client and I are going along just fine, and when we move on to the next step of writing their statement,…
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Romantic Information: Balancing Love and the Law
I recently read an article where a marriage was quickly going south. One of the partners said that they had thought their marriage was in the bag and decided to focus on other areas instead, which led to the slow dissolution of the relationship. Anyone in a relationship quickly learns that if you don’t put in the time and dedication then the relationship will not work like it once did. As attorneys, we sometimes have to deal with added pressures of the job that can seep into relationships and make it harder. These added stresses could be why women attorneys have a higher rate of divorce. So seeing that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day,…
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Big Spender: Paying for the Bar Exam
Everyone knows that this is an expensive profession. Getting into law school costs money; being in law school costs money; and being admitted into the bar costs a lot of money. Aside from paying for the bar application ($500+), you also have to pay for a prep course ($1000+) and it’s strongly encouraged you don’t work during this time. Obvi, this is super easy because we all are trust-fund babies that survive on light and air so we don’t have to worry about rent, food, or bills. :/ Ok so actually not so easy. I remember the last semester of law school just feeling this constant pressure of always thinking, “how…
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Chocolate for Work: Eyeshadow Options
I mentioned before that I really love makeup and I really love colorful makeup, especially a bright eye. When I was younger I would ignore the “don’t be matchy-matchy” rule and match my shadow to my outfit and I loved it! But, obviously, now that I’m older and working as an attorney bright blue shadow isn’t going to work while I’m talking to judges. Sad. But! that doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun with a neutral eye. So, today we’re comparing two palettes by Too Faced that are great options for work: Too Faced’s Chocolate Bar and their second edition, Semi-Sweet, offers a great variety of neutral eyes and mixes enough…
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One down, 11 to go.
I hope everyone is sticking to their resolutions or making moves to accomplish those goals! We’re excited for the start of a new month and are ready to double-down on work to help move us towards some of our objectives for 2015. One goal was to wake up earlier to catch a ride with my husband to work. That may not seem meaningful, but driving to downtown Chicago gives us an extra 20 minutes of quality time together and I get reminded regularly how much I love this city–exhibit A (which doesn’t do the city justice): As it’s the last Friday of the month, we’re sharing some of our…
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Great Grades, Now What?!
A few weeks ago we talked about steps to take when you receive not-so-great grades in school. The likelihood of not doing as well you expected is very high in law school for various reasons. But that’s not to say that no one will do well. In fact, I know many Latinas students (both current and former) that excelled in school and that is worthy of acknowledgement! Aside from recognizing the fruition of hard work, there are still steps you have to take to ensure that you continue on a successful path. When I was in school, a friend earned very, very, very good marks, but was at a loss…
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Not so Great Grades and Law School
Grades are in for many people, and others are anxiously awaiting the final verdict. Today’s post isn’t very happy because it’s about dealing with the aftermath of not-so-great grades (“NSG grades”). First, NSG grades happen, so please don’t be too down on yourself. Remember that law school is usually graded on a curve, and it’s based on one anonymous test graded by one person. This one grade doesn’t signify your worth or your capabilities in school, or as a future attorney. But unfortunately, the reality is that many people will not get the grades they expected, and for all those usually straight-A students, these grades may be the worst you’ve ever earned.…