When envisioning superheroes, iconic figures like Batman or Spiderman often come to mind. At Baylor Law School, 1L Julia Incerpi embodies the spirit of a modern-day Superwoman. As a 1L student, she is not only pursuing her Juris Doctor but also skillfully balancing motherhood, caring for her elderly grandmother, and making her mark in the legal field.
Though no journey to law school is the same, Incerpi’s story is anything but typical. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, she grew up in Gatesville, Texas, and worked as a high school Spanish teacher. Though teaching was enjoyable, it was quite the challenge—overworked and underpaid; she needed a way to provide a better future for her 86-year-old grandmother and her seven-year-old son, both of whom she cares for daily.
Teaching was a lot, and Julia had to get creative with ideas to answer the question, “What can I do to make more money?” Being the problem solver she is, she considered working in bookkeeping or pursuing her master’s degree or a doctorate in Spanish. The ultimate decision, though, came from her own experience.
“I fought for custody of my son, full custody of my son, pro se. Doing it myself and going through that process and writing up all those documents and turning them in on time,” Incerpi noted, “I thought to myself, ‘Well, anyone can do this, but not everyone will do this.’” Incerpi is determined by the idea that “if I could do that for myself, I [could] do that for other people, and I [could] make some money doing it.”
Though Incerpi initially dismissed the idea of courtroom advocacy, her time at Baylor Law School has opened her mind to new possibilities. “When I first started, I said, ‘I don’t want to litigate, I don’t want to be in that courtroom, I just want to work with papers,’” she related, “but now that I’ve been here, I’ve enjoyed it, and I’m not afraid of public speaking. I’m open as to where it takes me right now.”
Julia is now considering government work, primarily serving her community in Gatesville at the state, county, or city level. Next quarter, she will extern with the District Attorney’s office, an opportunity that she’s excited to explore. For now, Incerpi is still considering options and looks forward to seeing first-hand what it will mean to practice prosecution.
As a proud Italian Venezuelan, Incerpi’s cultural background and upbringing have significantly molded her life and approach to the law. What is the primary cultural challenge she’s faced in law school? Learning to control her nonverbal communication. “We [in Venezuelan and Italian-Venezuelan culture] use our hands a lot [when speaking], and I don’t even think about it,” she laughed, “it’s a minor, technical thing where I feel like I have to practice to keep my hands on the table or the lecterns while I’m practicing.”
However, this minor setback hasn’t detracted from her Baylor Law experience. “I haven’t felt any judgment. I haven’t felt anything weird about being a minority student,” she said. Seeing representation in the faculty, like Professor Laura Hernández, also gave her confidence that Baylor was a great fit. “I noticed that when I was first applying to come to Baylor, and that was one of the things that made me think that this was a good idea,” she said.
A chance happening on social media inspired confidence within Incerpi, too. “I also happened to look on [Baylor Law’s] Instagram, and it was…Hispanic Heritage Month around that time, and I was like, ‘Oh, look…they celebrate their minority, their Hispanic students’,” Incerpi said. For her, the supportive environment of Baylor Law School has reassured her daily that she made the right decision not only to pursue a legal education but also to pursue it at Baylor.
In her K-12 schooling, Incerpi didn’t have any Hispanic teachers. This lack of representation made it challenging to imagine attending college or becoming a professional in the United States. “My grandmother…was a lawyer in Venezuela, and it’s not that I thought I was incapable,” she said, “It was more…something that happened back home…but not something that I [could] do here in the States.” As a J.D. candidate, she actively encourages young people in similar situations to realize that pursuing further education is possible.
In her role as a mother and a law student, Incerpi hopes to inspire her son and young people from culturally similar backgrounds. “I would tell my students… ‘You’re not stuck with anything that you end up doing…you can always change, and you’re in control within the limits of the world,” she said, “You are in control of what you do in life and the paths that you take.” Like any good teacher, Incerpi took her lesson to heart and applied it to her life, showing first-hand that it is never too late in life to pursue your dreams.
When thinking of her inspiration, Incerpi ties things back to her family. Her grandmother, who brought her to the United States and practiced law in Venezuela, is the source of her greatest inspiration. Now, as her caretaker, Incerpi sees her legal aspirations as a way to honor her grandmother’s legacy and give back to her what she poured into her.
Incerpi’s stepfather also played an integral role in her law school journey, pushing her to apply despite her initial reservations. “At first, I was like, ‘What? Dad, you’re crazy,’” she declared, but after thinking about the idea, Incerpi decided to explore the option.
Due to her summer off, Incerpi had time to dedicate herself to the preliminary steps in the law school application process, beginning with the LSAT. “I took a year doing that, waking up at four o’clock in the morning, before my son woke up, doing my practice tests,” she said, “I did that for about a year, and the work paid off. I did pretty well.”
The hard work and dedication she applied came to fruition when Incerpi rightly earned her spot at Baylor Law. “I still feel like I’m living my dream here,” she said.
Though she is in the early stages of her legal career, Julia has several accomplishments to be proud of. She has perfected the balancing act of law school and family responsibilities with elegance and grace. She’s already inspired her son to become a lawyer and attend Baylor, but more inspiration is in her future.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Incerpi celebrates with her family through music, food, language, and traditions like cumbias and Venezuelan arepas. “I love the language. I’ve studied different languages, and it’s just a different mindset. I would say the Spanish language is maybe more romantic,” she explained, “I don’t want to sound stereotypical, but it’s kind of poetic.”
Incerpi hopes to inspire others in her community the way she was inspired to pursue law school. “I’m proud of myself for being here.” She has an army of proud peers and professors behind her. Although her legal journey is only beginning, it’s already unfolding like a modern-day epic.
Original source can be found here.