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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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In Defense of Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month and for many Hispanic/Latinos it’s not such a happy occasion. I get it. It’s sometimes hard to swallow “celebrating” when we’re not just one culture and when there’s so much oppression and injustice inflicted on Latinos. I get that this month can sometimes seem like lip service. But, nonetheless, I’m here to defend it. Not the name, or the fact that it tries to encompass so many different cultures in one, but the general intent and the positive impact it can actually create. Because while it may seem like pandering to some, for other Latinos celebrating HHM can be…
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A Little Help From My Friends
When I started law school there were maybe 15 latinos in my class, “the largest ever!” my school proclaimed. They put most of us in the same section as well, which I actually did not mind. Since then, however, throughout the U.S. the number of hispanic students entering law school continues to decrease. The impact of few people of color earning J.D.s will have long-reaching ramifications. A J.D. is empowerment. If the people in power continue to only come from the same type of background, with similar forms of privilege, then real change will be a slow and dismal. Despite all of that, perhaps right now, you are in school,…
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When Offensive Comments Happen
At some point most of us will encounter someone spewing out something ignorant about our ethnicity or our gender. You would think that once you reach the esteemed halls of law school that it would stop. Unfortunately, there are people seemingly so steeped in privilege that law school is one of the first times they are “forced” to interact with people of color. But for the rest of us, we have to often be the only or one of the few people of color or Latinas-period-in our section or class. By being so isolated we are given an added burden of being the voice for our people, and having to…
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How to Survive Law School
If you’re starting law school this semester, I have a few things to say–first, congratulations! This is a super exciting endeavor and you deserve a lot of acknowledgment! So Yay! My second piece of unsolicited advice is to not let anxiety and fear of the unknown overcome you. Instead, become fearless and adopt a badass attitude. This new chapter will be overwhelming, and if you’re going to survive you have to fortify yourself with confidence–it’s the only way you can make it through the next three years. For some of us, that self-confidence may come naturally. But if you’re like me, you’re feeling not only excited and anxious, but also…
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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…
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Cultural Conflict: Being Too Polite
One of the great dilemmas we encounter is aligning our upbringing and culture with the expectations of the mainstream–especially in a conservative field like the law. Cultural conflicts often demand that we change our behavior so that those in charge find it easier to accept us. But as the current VP says–that’s a bunch of malarkey! Before we opt to make changes, it’s important to analyze and decide why we have to change just so that systems of power feel comfortable around us. Easier said than done! Instead, many times we just opt to play by the rules to get just an inch ahead–even if the rules don’t seem logical, fair, or natural to us.…
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Are You the Interpreter?
I’m a huge fan of TV and am always excited about the new fall line-ups. I am doubly excited this year that a new show starring a very funny Latina comedian will be on ABC. Cristela Alonzo will play a law student, and that makes me excited to think that perhaps there will be a storyline on t.v. with which I can actually relate! One scene that immediately struck a chord with me was the promo where a white woman misidentifies Cristela repeatedly (around the 30 sec mark). First, as the cleaning crew; then as support staff. The punch line happens when the lady asks Cristela (who she assumes to be…