Her dream job as a lawyer has lived up to the dream
Leaving teaching after nine years was so much harder than I thought. I knew it was time to pursue my long-time goal of practicing law (I listed it as my future career in my kindergarten and 8th grade graduation program). Though I knew I wanted to move forward, saying goodbye to my (high school) kids and the impact I could have as a teacher was tough. I was also scared – maybe I had waited too long, maybe I wouldn’t be able to keep up, maybe I wasn’t equipped for this new arena. But, it soon became clear to me that with the support of great mentors, I was able to do what I had always wanted to do, in ways unique to my life experience, and I could channel my passion for teaching into mentoring in this profession.
Beginning my law career later in life came with benefits I hadn’t expected. I immediately got asked to handle things above my level, to push my skills and subject matter expertise ahead faster, and to tackle things that scared but excited me. I was able to cultivate two wildly different practices, in large part due to mentors who supported my exciting (but disparate) interests. First, I get to help companies navigate the complicated legal and regulatory landscape in California so that they can focus on what they do best – innovating and bringing exciting businesses into the world’s fourth largest economy. Then, I also have the good fortune of supporting public agencies and utilities in eminent domain acquisitions to allow them to undertake important and necessary public projects to advance efficiency, resilience, and infrastructure for the people of this state.
Starting later in this profession also meant that my peers and junior team members came to me for advice and support, and that filled the gap that leaving teaching behind had left. I became a formal mentor to several junior lawyers so I could repay the career-shaping guidance I had received. I served on the recruiting committee to meet and work with first-generation law students (like myself) as they forged their own paths, and eventually chaired our attorney evaluation committee. That role enabled me to connect with every lawyer at the firm and get insight into what they needed and how I could help them thrive. I felt then (and still feel now) so lucky to have found a firm, a home really, that supports me in these efforts. And today, seeing diverse and first-generation law students I interviewed come to the firm and build lasting careers, and seeing so many of my mentees become my partners – these are some of my greatest joys in my career.
I never imagined that when I left teaching, I would build a career that let me chase every passion I had while being so authentically myself. I am so grateful I took that first leap.
