You have no idea how many books I've read or how many hours I've spent researching on the Internet trying to find ANYTHING that sheds some sort of light on what it might be like to be a minority attending law school while also being a single parent. I found articles about being a minority attending law school, and being a single parent attending law school, but finding anything that fit all three categories....well, nothing so far. Until now, I suppose. The lack of a resource has forced me to create my own.
First, I must provide a little bit of background information about myself. I am 27 years old and am the mother to a beautiful 7 year old daughter. I am a non-traditional student in that I began undergrad at the age of 22. I began taking classes at a local community college and transferred to a small private catholic university to finish my Bachelor's in Paralegal Studies. I worked full time, or pretty close to full time (32-40+ hours a week)throughout undergrad as a legal file clerk and a legal assistant with a small boutique law firm.
While I have always been fascinated by the law and the legal process, I automatically dismissed the idea of law school because I had a child and didn't think I could balance both responsibilities. Becoming a legal assistant allowed me to be involved with the legal process, but I still found myself contemplating law school and finally decided I needed to follow my dream.
Now, the somewhat unattractive part....
I can't exactly hide the fact I'm an African-American Woman, pursuing a career that is dominated by Caucasian Men. There is much more to be said about race and gender and the issues that come with it, especially when you throw in terms like "Affirmative Action," "institutional racism," or "gender bias." I bring it up only because for me it is undeniable, and unfortunately I have had to address it often in my life. I imagine the same will be true when I get to law school. However, this is all I'm going to say about it for now.
The purpose of this blog is to hopefully provide a realistic look into what life is like for a minority law student who has to balance the rigors of law school and the responsibilities of rearing a child. I realize law school is going to be a tremendous amount of work, but I have worked extremely hard up to this point and law school will be no exception. I plan to use this blog to chronicle the triumphs and the trials. My only real hope is that I get to the other side with my sanity mostly intact!
To clear up any confusion, I am not currently attending law school, but I have applied to and been accepted to attend law school in the Fall of 2009. This blog will chronicle my experiences leading up to my first day of law school and will hopefully continue to the point of my being sworn in as an attorney. So, wish me luck!
First, I must provide a little bit of background information about myself. I am 27 years old and am the mother to a beautiful 7 year old daughter. I am a non-traditional student in that I began undergrad at the age of 22. I began taking classes at a local community college and transferred to a small private catholic university to finish my Bachelor's in Paralegal Studies. I worked full time, or pretty close to full time (32-40+ hours a week)throughout undergrad as a legal file clerk and a legal assistant with a small boutique law firm.
While I have always been fascinated by the law and the legal process, I automatically dismissed the idea of law school because I had a child and didn't think I could balance both responsibilities. Becoming a legal assistant allowed me to be involved with the legal process, but I still found myself contemplating law school and finally decided I needed to follow my dream.
Now, the somewhat unattractive part....
I can't exactly hide the fact I'm an African-American Woman, pursuing a career that is dominated by Caucasian Men. There is much more to be said about race and gender and the issues that come with it, especially when you throw in terms like "Affirmative Action," "institutional racism," or "gender bias." I bring it up only because for me it is undeniable, and unfortunately I have had to address it often in my life. I imagine the same will be true when I get to law school. However, this is all I'm going to say about it for now.
The purpose of this blog is to hopefully provide a realistic look into what life is like for a minority law student who has to balance the rigors of law school and the responsibilities of rearing a child. I realize law school is going to be a tremendous amount of work, but I have worked extremely hard up to this point and law school will be no exception. I plan to use this blog to chronicle the triumphs and the trials. My only real hope is that I get to the other side with my sanity mostly intact!
To clear up any confusion, I am not currently attending law school, but I have applied to and been accepted to attend law school in the Fall of 2009. This blog will chronicle my experiences leading up to my first day of law school and will hopefully continue to the point of my being sworn in as an attorney. So, wish me luck!
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