Paulina Vera, Legal Associate for the Immigration Clinic, JD '15, participated in the Hispanic National Bar Association's (HNBA) Latina Leadership Academy on September 5. The one-day leadership training focused on executive presence, grit and growth mindset, and practicing mindfulness. The academy took place in Philadelphia during HNBA's 2018 Annual Convention. She spoke about her experience and why students should attend the convention next year.
Ms. Vera has been an HNBA member since law school. To partake in the academy, she went through a competitive application process. The trainings Ms. Vera was involved with were conversation-based, which allowed her to speak about her experiences as a Latina lawyer. "I spoke particularly about how many of my students are women/WOC/Latinas and that I hoped to bring back the lessons I learned at the training to them," she said.
The academy takes place during the yearly convention. Due to the relationship she developed with HNBA, Ms. Vera encourages Latina law students to apply for the academy and to volunteer at the convention. Benefits may include free registration and admittance to the gala. "I did that in law school when the convention was in D.C. and I know recent students, like Mireya Martinez, JD '18, have done so as well," Ms. Vera said. HNBA also has a Corporate Counsel Conference in the spring and law students can sign up for the moot court competition that takes place during the conference, she explained. Professor Alberto M. Benítez and Ms. Vera coached a team in March 2017 that included Daiquiri Ryan, JD '17, and Alejandra Hernandez Irizarry, JD '17.
Ms. Vera felt inspired to be in a room full of Latina lawyers. "A lot of us face the same frustrations and obstacles in the legal profession, but I gained a lot by coming together to discuss how to tackle these problems while still being our authentic selves."