Today, we’d like to introduce you to Marie Soto. Marie was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Diana Gallegos.
Marie, can you walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was able to obtain employment as a legal assistant after completing my internship with Diana. I have always been interested in working in the legal field, Diana was the first person I met who offered to get my foot in the door. I began my career by shadowing Diana‘s and taking notes on her advice and training. After a few weeks of shadowing her, she was able to get me an interview with an immigration lawyer in the Houston area. Although I did not have much experience in the field, the skills I learned during my internship impressed the attorney and he offered me a job. I was excited and of course, I accepted his offer. As of today I am a college student and a part-time legal assistant.
Let’s talk about your work and career – what else should we know?
I am a social work student at the University of North Texas in Denton. One of my main goals is to attend Law school. I have not figured out what type of law I want to practice once I am a licensed attorney. However, with the opportunities, I have been provided and the different types of law areas I have assisted in, I am sure I will figure it out in no time. One thing I know for sure is that I enjoy being able to meet new clients who I can help through their immigration process.
So, as we mentioned to our audience earlier, you were introduced to us by D&F Innovative Solutions, LLC and we really admire them and what they’ve built. For folks who might not be as familiar, can you tell them a bit about your experience with Diana and D&F Innovative Solutions.
I met Diana, a close friend. When I mentioned that she worked in the legal field, I approached her. I started the conversation by asking if she knew anyone who needed an intern. I expressed to her my interest in law and she was nice enough to chat with me. She had an answer for everys single question I asked. Diana did not hesitate to offer me an internship position at Holland Law Firm, PLLC. During my internship I was able to learn how to conduct client meetings, provide case status, draft legal documents, and the immigration law practice. Other than learning legal terminology and law ethics, Diana also mentored me in other areas. For example, one day I asked her what credit meant, she immediately put everything down, got a notebook out and lectured me on the importance of having a good credit score. She went into detail about all the benefits of good credit and mentioned the do’s and don’ts. “I wish high schools and colleges taught students about this, it is so important for young adults to know this before graduating…” she said.
D&F was a good choice for me because I wanted to learn about different types of law and that is exactly what happened. I had a great experience as a mentee, my internship was worth it, and definitely paid off. I was able to obtain employment faster than I expected.
Diana is great at first impressions, the first thing I noticed about her was how kind and down to earth she was. She showed how much she truly cared about my educational and professional needs.
Through Diana, I was able to get a job with a lawyer who specializes in different types of law which exposed me to work on different types of cases and learn new skills. I would rate this service a 10 out of 10. I would most definitely be using her services in the near future.
Before interning with D&F, I never had the opportunity to work with a lawyer and I didn’t know what type of law I wanted to study. After completing my internship, I feel closer to achieving my dreams of becoming a great lawyer. My future plans are to continue working in the legal field while I finish my degree in social work and one day go to law school. I am thankful to be given the opportunity to see what a lawyer career looks like. Diana inspired me because she is a hard-working woman who follows her dreams while running a business. I can picture her going very far in life. She cares about her interns and likes to see them achieve their dreams as she is achieving her own dreams alongside.
Other: mariesoto12@gmail.com
Image Credits
Marie soto and D&F innovative solutions
