From a young age, Fresno State grad and alumnae, Lanae Oviedo (Law ‘20), got to experience law school when her mom, Serita Rios (JD ‘06), attended SJCL. Fast forward to today and Lanae is a mom to her one-year-old son, and recently passed the Bar to add “lawyer” to her glowing resume. Learn more about Lanae’s story, including how her mom’s law school experience shaped hers, how she became a new mom while finishing law school during a worldwide pandemic and her advice on getting through the toughest days of law school.
Tell us about yourself and your road to SJCL.
My mom is a defense attorney and she started law school when I was in elementary school. Ever since I was a young girl, I always wanted to go to law school and knew it was what I wanted to do. I graduated from Fresno State and decided to stay local. I chose to attend San Joaquin primarily because of Diane Steel - she was so welcoming and she made me feel really comfortable. My mom did the four year program at SJCL, so she worked full time during the day and went to school at night. During those four years, I lived with my dad and grandparents because my mom had to pay her way through law school.
Growing up, I saw her struggle and vividly remember her studying for the Bar because it was a very boring summer for me. Ever since she started practicing while I was in high school, I was at her office all the time and I would go to court with her every chance I could get. On holidays when I didn’t have school and during summer vacations, I was always with her and always wanted to go to her court hearings. I tried to watch every trial of hers, so I’ve been around the legal profession for most of my life and I always knew what I wanted to do. From following my mom around court and the office, I was able to build relationships in the legal community. During my college undergrad, I was her part-time legal secretary. I worked for her full time when I took a gap year between college and law school. Growing up, I was intrigued by the Innocence Project, an organization that exonerates persons who they believe were wrongfully convicted. I’ve realized that my passion definitely revolves around helping people who have been affected by the injustices of our criminal justice system and it’s something that I want to get into eventually in my career.
What was it like working with your mom and what did you learn from that legal experience?
When I started working with her, she would give me minor research projects and I would go on Lexis with no clue as to what I was doing. As her legal secretary, I would sit in on her client intake interviews, help her prepare for trial and attend her court hearings. I loved the feeling of being in court, and observing the attorneys and judges.
When I started law school, I only helped her for a few hours a week because I was so busy with classes and eventually, I wasn’t able to keep helping her because I had to focus on school. I chose the three year program, so I was taking six classes and it was very demanding. I felt like I never had enough time to thoroughly complete my case briefs. I remember getting to Starbucks at 5 a.m. some days just to make sure I had all my briefs done. I eventually had to stop working for her completely because I would forget things and I was so focused on school. During my second year of law school, I interned for Mark Broughton during the summer. At that point, I had better time management when it came to balancing school and work. I also externed for Federal Magistrate Judge Grosjean during the spring of my second year, so I worked there part time and went to school full time.
You attended law school before and during the pandemic - what are some of the differences and challenges you experienced?
I graduated in 2020, so my third year was the first year of online classes because of the pandemic. I was pregnant during the spring of my 2L year and a few weeks after I started my last year in the fall of 2019, I had my son. Nothing could really prepare me for the experience of becoming a mom in law school but the thing with me is when I know something needs to get done, I just do it and I don’t think about the challenges I might face. I had a great pregnancy and all of my teachers and the staff were very supportive. I was allowed to attend class via Zoom for six weeks after the birth of my son. My last year was less stressful, but still demanding because I was a new mom but I just had to figure it out and get it done. Being able to be home during those six weeks and not having to actually go to class was definitely helpful. I ended up going back to school that semester just in time for finals and then we ended up going back to Zoom classes in March 2020 because of the pandemic. It was my last semester of law school and my son was a newborn, so it was nice to be home with him again and go to school remotely.
Were there any challenges shifting to online classes and what advice do you have for incoming students?
I felt disconnected because you’re not physically there in class, so it’s harder to focus. You have to really hold yourself accountable and be responsible with your time because you’re at home and you have all these distractions. I think it’s important to have your designated study space, even if it’s a small space in your room. I took my finals in my closet because I had roommates, so I created my quiet space there. Calendaring out your week to make sure you hold yourself accountable to however many study hours you want to do every day and sticking to a strict schedule is very important.
As a mom and law student, what advice do you have to maintain a healthy work/school/life balance?
During your first year, it’s so important to really dedicate everything to law school. I didn’t do much outside of law school but that was necessary for me to succeed. You need to focus and make a lot of sacrifices. After that first year, you understand what it takes to be successful so you’re better able to balance school, work and your personal life. Also, knowing yourself enough to know when you need a break and actually taking those breaks is important. Find a hobby or do things that make you happy so you’re able to balance your personal life and law school. It’s tough and I know everyone has bills to pay, but you can’t overwork yourself and you need to be realistic with how many hours of work and studying you can do each week without stretching yourself too thin.
Is it important to experience multiple areas of the law while you’re in school?
It’s important and beneficial. I was able to extern for a federal judge at the U.S. Eastern District Court in Fresno and she oversaw primarily civil matters. It was definitely an eye-opening experience for me because I was able to gain hands-on experience in another area of law. While you’re in school, it’s important to take advantage of using your clinical hours to educate yourself in different areas of the law to see what you like, what your passions are, etc. You might go into law school thinking you want to focus on one area of law but if you put yourself in another field, you might end up liking it more and finding another passion through experience. Doing so also builds relationships and that’s so important. I was able to build many relationships from the places that I worked at, and those relationships will be beneficial to my career.
What’s something you learned in law school that you wish someone would’ve told you about before?
I learned a lot about mental health and it was something I didn’t really think about before law school. I knew law school would be hard, but I didn't understand how mentally challenging it would be. During my first year, I remember feeling tired, stressed, worried, and alone while studying and preparing for finals. I missed out on family vacations and birthdays, and I was disconnected from my family and friends. It’s physically challenging of course, but it’s also mentally challenging because you have to have a work/life balance and understand it’s okay to take a break to enjoy yourself. I wasn’t warned on how mentally challenging it would be. Once you become an attorney, it’s still stressful. The legal field is stressful in general and I wasn’t given advice on how to maintain your sanity all while being successful. But I had a really great support system from my family and friends and they were very supportive even though they didn’t understand what I was going through. SJCL was very supportive too and there’s certain staff members that I was close to during school and I’m still close to to this day. I knew I could always go to them for help and that’s still the case today.
What advice do you have for law students to get through those mentally tough days?
Focus on the bigger picture and know that you will have better days and it is all worth it in the end. I felt the same way when I was studying for the Bar - I knew it was going to be worth it. Studying for the Bar during a pandemic was way harder on me mentally than any obstacle in law school but I just kept telling myself that when I passed, it would all be worth it so I needed to keep pushing through. Your hard work pays off in the end, so focus on the prize and your “why.”
What was it like studying for the Bar during the pandemic?
At first I didn’t think the pandemic was really going to affect me at all because I was going to be inside for 10 weeks anyways studying for the Bar. Then it was postponed to September and that was tough because I wasn’t sure if I should have been job searching or continue studying. I decided to just keep studying because I didn’t want to expose my family to COVID, but the uncertainty of whether there was even going to be an exam was mentally exhausting. Then it was postponed again to October and that was really disheartening. At that point, I just felt like I didn’t want to study anymore because I’d been studying on and off since May. Not being able to work was tough because I’d originally planned to start working in July after the exam, but now I would have to wait four more months. Studying at home with a baby was challenging because even though his dad was watching him while I studied, it was hard to turn off my mommy hat when I was in the same house as my son. The best study environment for me is at coffee shops but I wasn’t able to do that because of COVID, so I just had to make it work.
In the end, you have to give it your all no matter the challenges because you sacrificed so much for so long and you want to be able to say you left everything out on the table. I studied as much as I could and it definitely paid off for me even though I felt like I didn’t study enough. I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders when I found out I passed. I had so much relief knowing that all the hard work I’d put in for so many years finally paid off. All the sacrifices, headaches and exhaustion during a worldwide pandemic - it was all worth it. I never questioned that during law school, but I did question it at times while I was studying for the Bar because it was a hard period of time for me.
What’s next for you now that you’ve passed the Bar?
The pandemic has definitely changed my original career plans after passing the Bar because I want to make sure I’m keeping my family safe during the ongoing pandemic. While I was job searching, I wanted to make sure that the company that I worked for was providing safety precautions due to COVID as well. I came across Central California Legal Services and was intrigued by the work that they provide and their care for their employees. I was recently hired as a housing staff attorney and I’m very excited to begin my career with CCLS and the challenges that will come with learning a new area of law.
Any advice for someone who’s interested in law school but is uncertain because of the pandemic?
If you’ve ever had an urge to go to law school, now is definitely the time to begin. Over the past year with the change of presidential administrations, I think people are educating themselves and becoming more aware of politics and how it affects our world. If you’re passionate about making an impact on the world through the justice system, this is the best time to take that first step. When you go to law school, there’s so many doors that can open for you and there are a variety of occupations that you can pursue with your degree. It might be a little challenging to start law school via Zoom, but the staff at SJCL is very supportive and they want their students to be successful.
Want to learn more about San Joaquin College of Law, attend a virtual student forum or set up an appointment to discuss your law school future? Contact our Admissions Counselor, Francisco "Javier" Rosas, today!