I am a law student interested in commercial litigation. I own and operate elleSAT, the first LSAT prep company owned by a woman of color to be licensed by the Law School Admissions Council.
Before law school, I enjoyed a career in libraries and information management. I continue to mentor librarians interested in nontraditional careers and proudly serve as a Trustee at my local library.
My personal commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and open government led me to public libraries and disability policy.
English is my third language – as a native Portuguese and Spanish speaker, I specialize in communicating with Latino audiences, particularly the so-called “1.5 generation.” I am trained as a museum evaluator and market researcher, and have experience designing and conducting surveys and providing professional translation and localization services in these languages. After working as an exhibit evaluator at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science because of my growing interest in data management. This degree program helped me to blend my interest in education evaluation and assessment with my previous work experience ensuring HIPPA compliance and data. (Prior to OMSI, I supported Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant programs in a research hospital setting).
During graduate school, I worked as a the first in-house Data Analyst for the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System in Hyattsville, Maryland. After graduating, I transitioned into records management, working for a small federal agency responsible for rule making and technical standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act. My work in this area has given me significant technical knowledge of physical and digital accessibility standards. I supported a variety of IT procurement functions under the supervision of the agency’s CIO, with an emphasis on the agency’s electronic records management program. I hold a Certificate of Federal Records Management Training from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and a Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer’s Representatives (FAC-COR), Level II.
A family move to Chicago led to new opportunities in the private sector: I supported records management and compliance at a large international management consulting company before deciding to attend law school. My lifelong interest in diversity led me to start a boutique LSAT tutoring business to help other career changers and diverse students.
I also have experience supporting formal academic research: during the 2013-2014 academic year, I was a graduate research assistant at Catholic University. From 2010-2012, I worked on a multi-year National Science Foundation grant conducting research with human subjects at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, where I was responsible for all aspects of liaising with an external IRB. I have prepared reports for NEH and NSF grants.
I am happy to serve as a reviewer for any projects in the field of libraries, museums and informal education (particularly for STEM projects). Please email me (anita @ anitalife.com) if you would like my CV.