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Making the Best of Your Internship
We are gearing up to start a summer that will be incredibly unique–many of you will have found internships that will be remote or staggered hours or completely different than what you imagined (or different than what you were first offered in the Spring before this pandemic hit the US). At the same time, things are the same–life keeps ticking, people still need legal support, and this internship–whether it’s your 1L summer or you were hoping to get an offer as you entered your last year of law school–this internship and summer matter. I’ve shared my first legal internship before but for new readers a little summary–I had no clue…
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What Does it Mean to Not Walk the Stage?
I’ve been thinking a lot of about what it means for class of 2020 to not have a traditional graduation ceremony. To not get to put on the regalia, walk across the stage, and collect your diploma, as family and friends applaud you. … I don’t think any words of comfort I provide will really comfort, I know that. It sucks. This entire situation is so horrible and upsetting. In addition to losing out on these milestones, suddenly moving to remote-learning has augmented the gap of privilege and wealth between you and your classmates. I know it’s tough for 1Ls and 2Ls as well. I think about what it would…
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Can I Even Do This? How To Determine If You Can be a Lawyer
Deciding to go to law school is difficult. There are so many factors everyone considers–is the cost worth it? will I be happy? should I move out of state or stay close to home? The overwhelming question many would-be applicants ask is “should I go to law school?” and more often than not, money is the factor. Can you manage the debt and will you earn a living that makes the debt worth it? But…for many of us, even before we get to “should I?” we experience a ton of self-doubt that asks not should you, but can you? Can you even go to law school and become an attorney?…
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Wait, How is this Going to Work? Career Planning the Midst of a Pandemic
Hello, so with all the way people’s lives have been upended, it’s really normal to feel dread about what this may mean for your career. Of course, that may not be your first worry, which makes total sense. But at times, you could feel worried about your career and then feel guilty for worrying and all those things are normal. For those on the edge of becoming lawyers, this is the milestone you’ve been working towards for a long time, so it’s completely understandable that you’re nervous and worried. I was nervous and worried too right when I graduated law school. I want to share what it was like when…
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Working in the time of COVID
First, I have to preface this by saying–this is bonkers. This is bonkers!! Like some days I still can’t believe we’re living in the midst of a pandemic with such little control. It’s a bit much. As I shared with folks on insta, I’m working from home because I’m “high risk” because of my asthma. Asthma that was just diagnosed this past fall so being able to navigate that on top of a demanding, high stress job while everything seems to be The Worst is a lot. But at the same time I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to work from home and not deal with the fears…
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Be Strategic, Be, Be Strategic: Key Steps to Take When Job Searching
I recently shared on instagram about the worst job interview I ever had (and how traumatized I am still from it). Without ~naming names~ the position was for a summer counselor role for pre-law students. I was excited for the opportunity to get to be around other Latinx interested in law, but quickly during the interview I realized I was not going to be selected. The interviewer kept pushing back against each answer, making me rephrase or offer up another example; often interrupting saying my answer wasn’t good enough. At the end of interview, I felt like my experience as a Latina weren’t valid and I felt like shit. It…
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The Danger in Being the First
Wow, so I didn’t think I would write anything substantial about the American Dirt publishing industry scandal but like always Latino USA came through and inspired me. To bring ppl up to speed, American Dirt was written by a White woman and given a seven figure (!) advance by a publishing industry that then turned around and spent even more money to promote it. They landed promos with Latina influencers, a spot on Oprah’s book club, and blurb by the Chicana literary icon, Sandra Cisneros. The book, while fiction, seemed to be steeped in stereotypes and an obvious lack of knowledge of what it means to be Mexican. When a…
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Why Can’t I Shake This? Beating Imposter Syndrome Once and For All
Hi, my name is Nubia and it’s been 0 days since I last felt insecure about my professional capacity. Ok, maybe it’s been more than 0 days, but the reality is that experiencing imposter syndrome is a frequent occurrence and beating it means really working to recognize when it’s happening and then working hard to dismiss it when it occurs. Imposter syndrome is a feeling that you are not capable of doing what you’ve been tasked to do and that at any moment people will discover that you are a fraud. Often we attribute our successes to luck rather than skills and diminish our accomplishments lest others point out just…
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A (1/2) Decade of Latinas Uprising
It’s kind of exciting that we’re entering a new decade right? I think because I’m working on census 2020 stuff all the time at my new job that I’m very aware of this decennial time frame and how much changes in ten years. But this time around, I am a little more relaxed than times past where I had a set timeline of accomplishments and milestones I wanted to work towards. In 2010, my only goal was to graduate law school, pass the bar, and find a full time job as an attorney. I can say that decade really delivered. Not only did I become a lawyer, I laid a…
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An Ode to Vincent Gambini
An ABA Journal post has been making the rounds about Elle Woods and how it inspired so many women to go to law school. I love Legally Blonde and think it’s a cute movie, but if I’m also a little worried that so much love is being poured on Elle Woods and not enough attention is being given to the true patron saint of low-income/first-gen law students, one Vincent “Vinny” LaGuardia Gambini aka John Callo aka John Gallo. First, if you’ve never seen My Cousin Vinny please use whatever million and one streaming apps you have and watch it right meow! Not only is it great, as I’m about to…