Suffolk University’s Latinas in Law club hosted a panel April 9, shedding light on the experiences and triumphs of Latina women in their career paths.
The panel was comprised of Professor and Chair of Suffolk University’s Political Science Department Rachael Cobb, Managing Attorney for MacMurry and Associates’ New York office Elaisa Stephanie Rubio, State Representative for the 11th Plymouth District Rita Mendes and Attorney and Director of Health and Policy relations for Planned Parenthood Sheila Ramirez.
The panelists brought a variety of insight and expertise to highlight how their intersecting identities have impacted their professions in a discussion moderated by Latinas in Law Presidents Bianca Clark Peniza and Leah Wagner. The panelists discussed how easy it can be to feel out of place in a white, male-dominated field when identifying as a woman or Latina.
Rubio said that she is currently the only Latina at her firm. While this was intimidating, Rubio said she stopped trying to mold herself into the image of a typical lawyer and learned to embrace her identity and Latin roots.
“When I first started, I really tried to put myself in this box that was not made for me at all. I dressed a certain way, I bought the stuffy suits that were not me, in order to fit in,” said Rubio.
Both Cobb and Ramirez highlighted how, within their careers, they had to combat criticism from their peers to persist in their own ambitions.
Ramirez started as a policyholder for the city of Lawrence before becoming a director for Planned Parenthood. She expected backlash from family and friends when taking this position, but knew she had to pursue her passions.
“I could’ve stayed in that role, or I could’ve done the brave thing and do what I actually know I liked, even though I knew it was going to be hard,” said Ramirez. “And I did that.”
All panelists agreed that when entering a new profession, it is important to reach out to mentors and have peers that you can look up to and count on.
After immigrating to the United States and starting a life here by herself at 16 years old, Mendes said that her guidance counselor at Brockton High School, who was also Latina, provided her with a shoulder to lean on and pushed her to achieve her educational goals.
“It was a godsend in my life because she just saw that I was losing it because … I was trying to support myself,” said Mendes.
Cobb added that it is also important to reach out to new peers and be open to new ideas, as it can widen your insight into a variety of career possibilities.
“It helps knowing that there are all of those options for creating your life and celebrating the diversity of paths that people take,” said Cobb.
According to Forbes Advisor, Latina women accounted for 2.34% of all lawyers in 2023.
Rubio emphasized that when going up against the lack of representation in the legal field, Latina women should never lessen their capabilities as they take their seats at the table.
“As Latinas, we’re up against a lot: gender, race, ethnicity, so it’s really important not to minimize characteristics that make us uniquely Latina whether that is accent, the way you dress or your name,” said Rubio.
