ABOUT ME
MY STORYSince 2020, Shirley has inspired thousands to attend law school through her honest and authentic content online. She now hopes to mentor future law students through Legal Mija Consutling.
Legal Mija Consulting is run by Shirley, a New York City–based practicing attorney and pre-law mentor known online as Legal Mija (30K+ followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube).
Shirley began documenting her journey in 2020 as a pre-law student and has since shared her path through law school to becoming a practicing attorney. Her following grew through transparency and honesty about the challenges, setbacks, and realities of pursuing a legal career. After law school, Shirley formally launched a free pre-law mentorship program, offering individualized guidance to students navigating the admissions process. As demand for this support grew, Legal Mija Consulting was created to expand that work and provide strategic, accessible law school admissions guidance to a broader community of applicants.
With close to a decade of legal experience in NYC, including extensive paralegal work before and during law school, Shirley brings a rare, inside-out understanding of the legal profession and the law school admissions process. Her background spans every stage of the process. From paralegal, law student, and now practicing attorney.
Shirley personally struggled with the LSAT and as a result, took over 3 years to apply for law school after college. She understands how opaque, intimidating, and discouraging the law school admissions process can feel especially for applicants who don’t see themselves reflected in traditional admissions narratives.
Shirley graduated from CUNY School of Law, consistently ranked the #1 public interest law school in the nation, where she excelled academically and earned As in all her lawyering seminar courses, the school’s intensive legal writing and skills curriculum. In recognition of her strengths in writing and mentorship, she was selected to serve as a Lawyering Seminar Mentor, supporting first year law student through one of the most demanding components of law school.
Beyond the classroom, Shirley has deep experience with interviews, professional networking, and hiring processes. Prior to law school, she served on a hiring committee in her paralegal role at a legal services organization, giving her firsthand insight into how applications, resumes, and personal narratives are evaluated. She has also been actively involved in professional organizations, including the Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) and MetroLALSA, where she served as a member and advocate for community-building within the legal profession.
Today, Shirley works as a staff attorney at a labor union, representing workers in their civil legal matters, a role that reflects her long-standing commitment to public interest law and access to justice.
On her spare time, Shirley loves stationary, journaling and hot yoga. She recently launched a sticker business (Dumani by Shirley on Etsy). She loves her elder dog, JJ who turns 14 years old this year.
TESTIMONIALS
“As a second-time applicant, I found myself lost and hopeless— that changed when Shirley mentored me. With clear expectations, timelines, and honest feedback, I was able to reframe my personal statement and resume. I better understood how to spotlight my own personal story.
Rather than summarizing my past work in my personal statement, she helped me dig deeper into the why. I’ve now submitted all my applications and have heard back from 2 schools— got accepted to both and am even being considered for an honors program! ”
“Before we worked together, I was struggling with putting my ideas together and making my personal/diversity statement more concise.
At the end of the mentorship, I was left happy knowing that I had a personal and diversity statement that showed more of who I am as a person.
The process of working with Shirley was effortless, She is attentive to what you are struggling with and provides straightforward advice. She provides a comfortable space to express your struggles.
I am determined to get into law school and knowing that I have a strong personal & Diversity statement thanks to the help of Shirley, motivates me and shows me that I am a step closer to getting into law school.”
“As a first-generation college graduate, I came into the law school application process unsure of what to expect or what admissions committees were truly looking for. Working with Shirley completely changed that. She provided exceptionally thoughtful feedback, clear strategic guidance, and honest insight that helped me understand my weaknesses and turn them into strengths.
Shirley’s advice went far beyond surface-level edits — her guidance was rooted in her own personal experience, which made every recommendation feel practical, realistic, and intentional. She also shared incredibly helpful templates and strategies for reaching out for letters of recommendation, an area I previously felt very uncertain about. After working with her, I felt significantly more confident, informed, and prepared, and I continue to apply what I learned as I study for the LSAT and move forward with my applications. I would wholeheartedly recommend Shirley to anyone seeking knowledgeable, supportive, and results-driven guidance to support their professional growth.”