“You’re creating something we would have used when we were applying to law schools.”
That’s what a friend said when I told her about my latest project: a workbook designed for people considering law school. This workbook is meant to be more than just another law school guide. It’s a tool for deep self-reflection and exploration.
In the first part of the workbook, pre-law students will reflect on their interests, passions, and long-term goals. The second part allows space for researching legal practice areas and roles within the legal profession. The aim is to help pre-law scholars identify careers that align with their vision for the future. Ultimately, the workbook will help answer the big question: Is a career in law compatible with the life I want to create?
Her reaction really hit home for me, because she’s right—this is exactly the kind of resource I wish I had when I was applying to law school.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love my legal career and feel privileged to be where I am today. But for people like us—first-generation college graduates from immigrant families—we can benefit from guidance on how to build the lives, and careers, we want for ourselves. Truly, we should give ourselves permission to dream BIG!
Time and again, I’ve seen first-generation students, particularly from low-income backgrounds, pursue public interest law out of a deep passion for social justice. While that passion is powerful, I’ve learned over the years that it’s essential to balance your drive for change with your health, finances, and family life. And here’s the thing—your passion for social justice doesn’t have to define your job. Lawyers at “big law” firms often work on pro bono public interest cases alongside nonprofit organizations. They handle the same type of cases but with the financial stability of a “big law” salary.
While you don’t need to have everything figured out when you apply to law school, I encourage you to start thinking about the life you want and how a legal career will fit into it, rather than trying to mold your life around your career. That’s the focus of my workbook, and why I’m creating it with people like you in mind.
I Need Your Help!
Before I launch the workbook, I’m looking for three pre-law students who are ready to dig deep and participate in reflective exercises that will help them determine how a legal career fits into the life they want to build. In exchange for your feedback, you’ll get free, early access to the workbook and an opportunity to help me make it even better.
This offer is exclusive to my blog subscribers. If you’re interested, leave a comment below and make sure you’re subscribed to my blog.
I look forward to hearing from you!
-Ana
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