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If You Didn’t Pass the Bar
It’s hard to talk about failing the bar. First, because nothing we say will really remove the sting for those that didn’t pass. Second, because it’s so unfair how not passing upends your life for another six+ months, and even if you have a clear head now that the news has settled, it still doesn’t change the fact that you have to put in more time to pass this test. If you receive bad news like this, it’s important to give yourself time. Don’t make rash decisions right away (unless you really have to)–you need the time to bounce back mentally and emotionally. Slowly, you’ll come to terms and you’ll…
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Emergency Kit for Work
When you start working full-time you quickly realize just how many hours you will spend at your desk. Because we devote so much time to our work life, it’s important to make things as comfortable as possible. Aside from comfort, it’s always good to be prepared in case emergencies arise so that you’re not scrambling to look appropriate. Yes, by emergency I mean not emergencies at all, rather minor inconveniences. But, believe me–when you’re about to give a presentation to a bunch of attorneys and you realize your nails are all chipped, you’re going to wish you had something to remedy this problem! I started keeping a stash of “emergency” items,…
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Confidence and the New Attorney
Bar results come out today in some jurisdictions!! Congratulations to all those that passed!! What an amazing feat!! While we hope you’re busy celebrating, we also want to take a moment to talk about the importance of confidence as you begin practicing law. For the most part, confidence is a self-given gift. You bestow it on yourself and say to hell with other people’s opinions and own your skills and abilities. It’s not easy getting there. Especially during your first few months in the legal profession. I never took as hard of a hit to my self-esteem and self-worth as the three years I spent in law school. My writing…
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The Beginning.
It’s the last Friday of the month! How is it already almost October, Fall, and nearing the end of the year?! I don’t understand it. But this post is titled “The Beginning” because it is a new season and because tomorrow so many people will go take the LSAT, which is the official real beginning of the law school process. We wish all of the test-takers an abundance of great luck and calm minds. And for those Latinas taking the exam we want to scream: Si Se Puede! We are keeping our fingers crossed! For the last Friday post, let’s share some of our favorite stories from around the…
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Spotlight On! Solo Practitioner Daissy Dominguez
Today is the first of a very exciting series entitled: Spotlight On! The idea is to showcase new Latina attorneys and learn about the early successes in their careers. To start this series we’re interviewing Daissy Dominguez, a solo practitioner based in Chicago, Illinois. Daissy joined the bar on October 31, 2013, and opened her own practice, which focuses on criminal defense, immigration, and landlord/tenant law. I’m super excited to tell you all about her because I’ve also had the pleasure to work with her on some cases and know that her dedication to the community is the real deal! How did you decide to start your own solo practice?
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Make Your Presence Known
Are you active alumnae of your school? College or law? I know many people, especially my fellow alumni of color, have no interest in contributing as alumni. Many had bad culture shock by attending universities with a low amount of minorities; others had to face blatant racism from ignorant students and faculty. Plus, you add up all the debt most of us are in (hello, I went to two private institutions), the horrible job market and it’s like–what have you done for me lately, right? I get it and can definitely understand that sentiment. But at the same time, I’ll argue that it is vital for alumni of color, especially…
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Quarterly Report: Setting a Budget
Today’s post is brought to you by my “in-house” accountant and Reg. CPA (aka my husband Evan). Evan has kindly agreed to write some posts about finances every now and then (lucky us!). I know I’m a little bias but it’s no exaggeration when I say he’s a whiz at this kind of thing, and I’m very happy to be able to share some of his knowledge with you. Today’s post is about setting a budget–something I never, ever could do. Budget setting is tedious to do and even harder to stick to, but Evan is here to provide some tips to create, start, and stick with budget that matches…
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Advancing Past the Good Old Boy Club
A few years ago, I was at a networking event for work. I’m usually not a fan of these things, but I was having a relatively good time, and having an easy conversation with a colleague (a guy named “Jacob”). Soon, another attorney (also a man, “Mark”) came up to us. We included Mark in our conversation, you know, because that’s what civil people do, right? After a few minutes, he turned to Jacob and started talking to him –and only him– about baseball. I was floored. I was floored that he would try to purposefully exclude me from the conversation; floored that he didn’t return the favor of inclusion; and floored…
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Strong Resume, Stronger Candidate
I love reviewing resumes! I know it’s weird. Whatevs, but I like seeing the interesting experiences people have and it’s neat to see how they present themselves in this format. I’ve mostly seen resumes from student interns and new attorneys applying for fellowships, but even in that limited capacity there have been some amazing resumes… and some real duds. Don’t be a dud! If you’re not doing these four things you’re not presenting yourself as the strongest candidate! Convert into a PDF. Sounds simple, but I have had too many word docs that open up with the track changes still visible. Ack! That’s so horrible! I always feel bad when this mistake…
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Bilingualism: Help or Hinder?
Do you speak Spanish? Are you fluent or able to speak just enough to talk to your older relatives? Statistically speaking, younger generations may have less Spanish speaking capability than earlier generations. It makes me sad to know that likely my (possible) grandchildren won’t know my native language. Though, I am hopeful because I know there is now more knowledge and awareness (and acceptance) about the benefits of being multilingual so I’ll keep my fingers crossed. But in the here and now, how are you using your Spanish skills? When I first started interning in college, an attorney realized I knew Spanish and asked me to translate for him. He made…