AABANY Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee Shares How to Succeed as a First Generation Lawyer

On Thursday, June 6, 2024, AABANY’s Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee held a panel on how to thrive as a first generation lawyer. Moderated by Committee Co-Chair Yen-Yi Anderson, panelists Michelle Yang, Jasper Wong, Karen Eng, and Minyao Wang shared their experiences in choosing law school, preparing for the LSAT and bar exams, as well as detailing the struggles and victories that arose from their individual circumstances. 

Before the panel discussion began, guests enjoyed delicious complimentary Korean food and various beverages.  

When discussing how they first dreamed of becoming attorneys, panelists’ answers varied from as simple as wanting to make their parents––who often held grueling jobs with long hours and little pay––understand that their sacrifice was indeed worth it, to as lighthearted as having really enjoyed Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, a law video game. Mr. Wang mentioned the stability he hoped being a lawyer would bring, and both he and Ms. Eng discussed having explored related subjects like history, government, international relations, and social sciences that eventually led them to pursuing law. Despite all of the panelists’ shared identity as first-generation lawyers, the variety of motivations, choices, and experiences that inspired each of them to enter the industry was most striking.

When answering how to succeed in studying for the LSAT and within law school after it, panelists were admirably honest and treated the guests, mostly college students or recent college graduates, to a real picture of what their future could be. The panelists generally agreed that law school had been difficult in a way they had each never experienced, especially during 1L, and how they had to change their habits to succeed. Ms. Yang and Mr. Wang began to study independently without peers and friends, while Mr. Wong altered his time management and developed new skills to focus and study, and Ms. Eng recommended taking classes where students would have a high level of motivation and passion.

The panel then ended with a short Q & A with guests. Asked about the pressure of being part of a family adjusting to a new country, Ms. Eng and Mr. Wong agreed that their parents’ determination and steadfast intent had been integral in instilling a certain grit that helped them persevere through the challenges of law school and the legal profession. During the Q & A, Ms. Yang recommended investing in paid tutoring for LSAT and bar exams, though Mr. Wang shared that it was indeed possible to self-study given enough time and focus. Ms. Yang and Mr. Wong had both attended law school for periods during the Covid pandemic and discussed how it had been incredibly isolating, and Ms. Eng mentioned the feelings of imposter syndrome that developed during times of struggle in law school, each emphasizing to the attendees that these feelings were valid and common.

Thank you to the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee for organizing this event, Ms. Anderson for moderating, and thank you to all the panelists for their wonderful insight and candor. To learn more about AABANY’s Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee please click here.

Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program for College Students | St. John’s University

Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program for College Students | St. John’s University

Apply for the Brooklyn Legal Pipeline Initiative

The Brooklyn Legal Pipeline Initiative (BLPI),  will be a professionally moderated program designed to give diverse students who live or attend college in Brooklyn direct instruction on how to successfully apply to and fund a law school education. The program is being jointly run by the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association (BWBA), the Brooklyn Bar Association(BBA) and the Defense Association of New York (DANY). Each participant will be matched with an attorney mentor. Participants who attend all sessions will be offered an opportunity to obtain a non-paying summer internship. Stipends may be available to defray certain transportation and ancillary costs associated with the internships.

Selected students will attend five (5) two-hour classroom sessions, once a month, starting February 27, 2017 that will be moderated by Paula Edgar, an attorney, diversity and inclusion coach and former law school administrator.

Classes will be held at the Brooklyn Bar Association’s landmark building located at 123 Remsen Street in downtown Brooklyn. These classes will be held from 5:30- 7:30 PM and will address the following topics:

  • February 27, 2017 – The Legal Profession – What is a lawyer? What do they do? – Panel discussion with judges and attorneys describing the areas in which they practice.
  • March 13, 2017 – Applying to Law School – Course selection- Time management – Writing skills – IRAC – The LSAT’s – Paying for law school – Guided questions and answer session with a college career counselor and a law school admissions officer.
  • March 27, 2017 – Networking and Mentoring – Each participant will be paired with an Attorney Mentor – Developing a resume and cover letter.
  • April 24, 2017 – Internships –Interview Skills – Professionalism.
  • May 22, 2017– Mock Interviews – Each participant will participate in simulated interviews and will receive immediate constructive feedback.
  • June -August 2017 – Summer Internship Program

Application deadline is February 10. Click HERE for the brochure containing additional information.

SEO College Scholars

SEO is seeking volunteers from a wide range of industries to share their knowledge and advice during a fun afternoon of networking practice with SEO College Scholars on Saturday, August 2, 2014 from 3:00pm – 5:00pm at NYU Law School, 40 Washington Square South, New York, NY.

As part of a full day of career workshops, small groups of SEO’s youngest students (incoming freshmen and rising sophomores) will learn about career paths and practice networking with the volunteers who will facilitate career-related conversations with groups of students in order to inspire them and help them succeed!

To register, please email Vica Recinos at [email protected] and send a short bio, headshot and the following information: First and Last Name, Current Occupation (Title), Employer/ Organization

Deadline to Apply – David A. Garfinkel Essay Contest

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PRIZES:
CUNY and SUNY winners will be awarded $1000 each with one winner awarded the New York State (NYS) Community College Grand Prize of $1,500. The winners will also be honored at the Law Day ceremony at the Court of Appeals Hall an event at which the Chief Judge of the State of New York presides and the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Bench and Bar of New York attend. 

DEADLINE: April 5, 2013.

ESSAY TOPIC: ‘Cyberspace and the Law: What are Our Rights and Responsibilities?’ 
Students can choose one of the following questions to develop their essays:

Essay Question 1 – Cyberbullying: Examine the newly-enacted New York law governing cyberbullying and analyze current research on cyberbullying prevention. How do we balance the First Amendment free speech rights of students with the need to prevent the harm (including death) to students who are the targets of cyberbullies?

Essay Question 2 – Digital Piracy: One of the benefits of cyberspace is the ease with which we can maintain contact with our friends and share important aspects of our lives. However, sometimes the things we would like to share are copyrighted artistic works and file-sharing would run afoul of copyright laws. How can we ensure that the rights of both the copyright owners and those of lawful download owners are fair and balanced?

Essay Question 3 – Privacy in Peril: Privacy is the power to control how much other people know about us. Few of us realize the extent to which our Internet activities are tracked or know that our digital footprints remain traceable, often for long periods of time. How can we balance our digital lives and our personal privacy?

Essay Question 4 – Government Surveillance: The right to be free of unwarranted search and seizure is enshrined in the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But new technologies such as manufacturer installed GPS systems in cars, cell phone tracking and the introduction of surveillance drones in the United States have made widespread law enforcement and governmental surveillance of the American population possible. Is this technology eroding our Fourth Amendment rights and forcing us to change our expectations about privacy in public spaces?

RULES AND RESOURCES:

– Visit www.nycourts.gov/history

– “Like” us on Facebook at The Historical Society of the New York Courts 

– Follow us on twitter: @NYLegal_History 

For information on upcoming events and court programs open to the public visit the calendar