San Joaquin College of Law student and UC Santa Cruz grad, Laura Higareda-Chapa, has always tried to be a voice for the voiceless. From translating for her mom through an unemployment claim case as a teenager to supporting friends and family through the legal system, helping others has always been her calling. Find out how her career journey went from politics to full-time mom to a second career in law and why she believes helping even just one person can have a big impact on their family and the entire community.
Tell us about your journey to law school and what inspired you to go to law school?
I think I was in eighth grade when I found myself at an unemployment hearing translating for my mom. My mom worked at a packinghouse, and we didn't have a phone at the time. Her boss couldn't communicate with her directly and would relay messages to her through another worker. It was seasonal work, and because of this, she didn't know exactly what day to expect a message from them or the worker and didn't know what day she needed to return to work. When she didn't hear from anyone, she went to check-in, but they told her she didn't have a job. She then applied for unemployment, and it was denied because her boss said she had quit. I remember being across the table from the owner of the packinghouse and other individuals, which I assume were the attorneys. They had folders with papers and looked very intimidating. The judge asked her why she didn't call her employer, and I told him we didn't have a phone. The whole experience was illuminating for me. I saw my mom fighting hard and determined because she had not quit and needed the job. She would not back down. She would tell me "tell them this" and "tell them that" and" make sure you told them this." My mom was a fighter, and she was fierce. Now that I understand the law, I understand the need for evidence, and perhaps she didn't have enough. However, the thing I remember the most was how the whole situation felt unjust.
Fast forward to high school when my siblings started to have encounters with the criminal justice system. I remember being in the hallways feeling lost and scared and seeing so many other families who had the same confused look on their faces. I remember thinking, "can someone please just explain this process to us?" I felt like all of us in those hallways were wondering "what's going to happen next?" and all fearing for our loved ones. It was just another moment that made me realize I wanted to do something to help people. I don't think I ever went so far as to allow myself to believe that I could help as a lawyer because I wasn't sure that I was capable and always assumed that lawyering was just for intelligent people. I'd never thought of putting myself in that category despite the evidence to the contrary because I was in honors classes, I was on the debate team, and I did well in school.
In college, I studied Philosophy and loved it. After graduation, everyone was trying to figure out what to do next, and I was thinking of a joint Ph.D. and J.D. program, but I quickly closed that chapter because I thought law school would be too hard for me. Every few years since 1993, I would think about law school. In 2001, when my son was a year old, and I was pregnant with my second child, I figured I could go to law school since I had decided to stay home with the kids. I attended one of the Law School 101 forums at SJCL and met Diane Steel, who was very encouraging. But then I looked into the LSAT, and it felt like a foreign language to me, so I put it away. Then in 2011, I bought a few books to study for the LSAT, but we ended up moving from Fresno to Bakersfield, so I closed the book on that idea again and figured law school wasn't going to happen for me. Then we moved to Davis for a while and eventually moved back to Fresno. Now that my children were older, I decided to start looking into my next chapter. I looked into writing programs and realized I'm not a creative writer. I'm an advocate. Once again, I looked into law school. I decided to go to SJCL in April 2018, and the next available LSAT test to qualify was in June, so I took it and ended up being admitted in July for the fall semester. The LSAT was originally one of the biggest hurdles for me and held me back. Whether it was time, age, maturity, or simply courage, the LSAT no longer felt foreign.
I knew I wanted to go into criminal law when I started law school, but I was introduced to environmental law, and I enjoyed it. I was even more impressed with special education law because parents needed help, especially Spanish-speaking parents. I saw so many special education parents committed to attending Jodie Howard's BREN classes that were in English, which were being simultaneously translated into Spanish and taking much longer than necessary, but still, they stayed. After I took Jodie's class on special education law, I realized it was definitely an area of law I wanted to practice. I am currently teaching Spanish advocacy classes in special education law, and it's been a really rewarding experience. Learning from Jodie, who's a natural teacher, has been incredible. She taught us that special education is a civil rights issue because students get discriminated against based on their disabilities. Now I'm able to do consultations with clients in that area, and it's pretty exciting for me. Housing advocacy is another important area of law for me. I used to be on the Self-Help Enterprises board in Visalia, an organization that focuses on affordable housing and community development like clean water and wastewater programs in rural communities. I'm also interning with a local criminal defense attorney, and that's still the area of law I want to pursue. That's not to say I won't dabble in other areas of law like special education, but my focus will be on criminal law.
What was it like going to law school to start your second career?
Difficult but exciting. I am considered a "non-traditional" student (read "older"), so admittedly I was nervous about my age and ability, embarrassed for having started late in the game, and even felt a bit foolish for trying. However, I jumped in completely and wholeheartedly. Nothing nor no one could dissuade me, not even a low grade in business organizations.
I was previously a congressional staffer for a U.S. Congressman in Washington, DC. Then I became a District Director for Senator Diane Feinstein where I ran her Fresno office for a year, but then life happened, and I decided to stay home and raise my children. I became a stay-at-home mom for 18 years and I went to every soccer game, volunteered in every classroom and ran the PTA for a short time as well. I never stopped working hard, I just changed my focus to my family instead and I loved every minute of it. Once again, I have switched gears, and now the law is my focus, and I love every minute of it as well.
Why did you choose to attend San Joaquin College of Law?
I chose SJCL because every time I looked into law school, I always noticed SJCL's Bar passage rate was high, especially amongst women. I didn't know what they were doing, but I knew if any school could make me a lawyer, it would be SJCL. It was the numbers for me because the amount of female lawyers coming out of the school was impressive, and I didn't find that same percentage elsewhere. Proximity also played a significant role since we'd moved back to Fresno, so it was very convenient for me.
What was your experience like as a law student before and during the pandemic?
I'm probably one of the rare students who loved having classes online only because it gave my schedule so much flexibility. I could roll out of bed, go for a walk and come back and jump right into class. I do think we're missing out on the interaction with the professors, and it's not the same as when you're in class. Online classes are definitely convenient, but I prefer in-class instruction.
What impact has COVID-19 had on your law school experience?
It's been a little bit of a roller coaster. Initially, it was kind of a shock because I lived at the library and was part of a study group. With the pandemic, it was tough to maintain study groups. My classmates' schedules became more rigid in some cases because they had families or other obligations they had to attend to. So I lost my study group initially, but then we regrouped and started doing Zooms and Teams sessions, which was a lifesaver for us. Admittedly, there were moments when it was really hard for me to focus while going to school at home because I run a household too. Like all families, my family was working and going to school from home too. They wanted to chat and interact during their breaks, as did I, but our breaks didn't always coincide.
What advice do you have for staying productive while going to law school at home?
Most law students know that it's all about scheduling and putting in those breaks in between classes, reading, etc. I follow a rule where I read for 25 minutes, and then I'll walk around the house or chat with someone for five minutes (but that sometimes turned into 15 or 20 minutes), and then I'd come back to the reading. For me, I make sure to schedule those breaks as much as I can. I also do a lot of walking, and that's how I do my review. It's important to me to be outdoors and go for walks because otherwise, you're indoors all day long. It all comes down to scheduling, but it's also important to schedule in your downtime (which is different from your breaks) as well. Thursdays are my Fridays, so my Thursday night was my chance to turn on the tv, and I would just relax for the night because my studying would continue for the rest of the weekend.
How true is it that a law degree can open so many doors in your career?
My goal and my belief is that I'm going to pass the Bar. You don't go to law school thinking you won't pass; you go to law school thinking, "I am and I will." That's the mentality I believe a person needs to get you through all the bumps in the road because it makes it all worth it. The reality is that there are people who don't pass the Bar, but I also don't see them hurting for jobs. I think law school provides a good education and opens a lot more doors than expected. You can teach, you can advocate, or you can work for nonprofits. Knowing the law makes a person that much more qualified and effective at their job.
How important is it to network and make connections while you're in law school?
I think those connections are essential. SJCL students are fortunate because there's such a demand in almost every area of law here in the Central Valley. Those opportunities will come from your connections, and those connections begin when you're a student. They begin with professors and classmates and extend to alumni, mentors, internships, and externships. I'm part of LawSUIT, and we have a speaker series where we invite alumni and lawyers from the community to come and speak to our members. Through that, we've already been able to place some folks in internships and connect them with local practicing attorneys. It's incredible to see the bonds being built, and I think that the connections are truly invaluable because it's going to serve all of us later down the road when we pass the Bar and are looking for jobs.
As a mom, wife, law student, and more, what advice do you have for maintaining a healthy work/school/life balance?
Well, it goes back to scheduling. You must schedule time for what's important, and for me, that's family. It also means finding joy in what one is doing. For me, that means celebrating every moment and accomplishment along this journey, no matter how small. Whether it's a grade in class, completing a moot court, or just turning in an assignment, I think it's so important to be appreciative and recognize those small accomplishments to bring joy to your life and keep you motivated.
I remember right after a moot court competition, I invited a fellow student to join a group of us to celebrate the night's accomplishment, and she said, "Why are you celebrating, you didn't win moot court." I laughed because, as a former marathoner, I know sometimes you win just by crossing the finish line. Our incoming class was unique, we celebrated every assignment, every midterm, the end of the semester, the end of the year, and much more. We always brought our loved ones along for the ride.
What do you do on those mentally tough days in law school?
A support system is so important to get through law school. My immediate family is a strong support system for me, which includes my husband and three children. They're key when I'm having those tough and emotional days because they're always ready to be with me, encourage me, and keep me going.
The hardest thing for me in law school was the loss of my mother in my second year and not seeing my extended family because of studying. I'm the youngest of ten siblings, and my husband comes from a family with eight children, so I'm used to being around family. When I was a stay-at-home mom, I hosted most events and holidays at our house. Even before the pandemic, that practice came to a halt because of studying. It was especially hard when I lost my mom. When she was in hospice, I spent every day with her while I read my books and prepared for finals. But, just as hard was not being able to be with my extended family to truly mourn that loss because I had to keep going with my studies since I had the MPRE exam. My immediate family kept me going, as did some dear classmates.
Support can come from your classmates, as well. That support can be in the form of tutoring, moral support, advice, or study group. In our LawSUIT group, it's become a motto for us - "if we help one, we help many." I know for a fact that many of our students come in with a whole community and families not only rooting for them but also counting on them to succeed. So we know if we can be there for even one student to help or encourage them to succeed, it can make a difference in their life. And if they succeed, then their whole family unit and community succeed along with them. So I truly believe a strong support system is necessary to succeed in law school.
What is something you've learned about as a law student that no one told you about?
As far as expectations go, I had none because I had no idea what law school would be like.
However, I was surprised to find out that being a law student can be lonely, and I assume it's the same in practice. As a student, you spend all your time reading, focusing, and writing; you can spend a lot of time in your own world and in your own head, and it can get lonely.
What advice do you have for people who are interested in going to law school but are hesitant?
I have two pieces of advice. First, if the only thing that's stopping you is your own feeling of not being qualified or smart enough, that's an easy one. The philosopher Epictetus said, "If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." What makes a person smart is not how many books they read or what their grades are in school - it's whether they are willing to put themselves out there and ask for help to improve. If you can acknowledge your current academic position, have the ability to ask for help, and willing to do the work to improve, you can do law school.
The second piece of advice is more contemplative. You must decide how important being a lawyer is for you. A person goes to law school to become a lawyer, period. If you know this with your whole being and mentality, you can succeed in law school.
I heard one student say she didn't really know what to do in life, so she just decided to go to law school. Luckily it worked out for her, and that's great, but I think she's the exception and not the rule. I don't think you should take law school lightly because it's a lot of work and sacrifice. It challenges your beliefs, makes you question your abilities, and tests your endurance.
For me, a friend gave me a sermon about finding your purpose in life or your "calling," if you will. It asked you to do a few things. First, it asks you to answer, "When you talk to people, what do they see you as?" Then it asks you to answer, "What have you considered repeatedly over time?" Finally, this is a bit more spiritual, but it suggests you pray or push that thing away. If it comes back, then maybe it is a calling, a purpose, or who you're meant to be.
At my 25th high school reunion, I remember someone referring to me and saying, "ask her, she's a lawyer," but I wasn't even in law school at the time. They were surprised by that and had assumed that all this time, I was a lawyer. The point is, people had already seen me as a lawyer even when I hadn't seen it in myself.
Secondly, how many times did I reject and close the book on the idea of law school? And how many times did the idea keep coming back? I honestly don't know what happened between 1993 and 2018 (other than maturity) to make such a big difference when I finally took that LSAT and applied to law school, but I know one thing for certain: being a lawyer is who I am meant to be.
If you decide that being a lawyer is who you are, remember what Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said: "At the moment of commitment, the entire universe conspires to assist you." So, yes you can - Sí se puede!
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 Assistant Director of Admissions, Francisco "Javier" Rosas, or our Director of Admissions, Diane Steel, today!