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 intimidating and discouraging the law school admissions process can feel especially for applicants who don’t see themselves reflected in traditional admissions narratives.

Legal Mija Consulting was created to demystify that process and provide strategic, honest, and affirming guidance that helps applicants present their stories with confidence, clarity, and integrity.

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.