Annie Armistead '99

At Oberlin, I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain and Buenos Aires, Argentina.  I also spent one winter term in Lima, Peru.  After graduating in 1999 with a double major in Spanish and Biopsychology, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona.  I worked for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Civil Rights Division as a bilingual Compliance Officer from 1999-2002.  I investigated civil rights complaints in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations.  I used my Spanish interviewing witnesses and complaining parties, translating documents, writing correspondences, and negotiating settlement agreements.  This work inspired me to go to law school.  

In August 2002, I entered law school at Temple University in Philadelphia and graduated in May 2005.  I am currently working as a staff attorney at SeniorLAW Center, a non-profit legal services provider representing low-income seniors in Philadelphia.  My position is staffed through a one-year fellowship with the Borchard Center Foundation on Law and Aging.  My fellowship focuses on providing direct legal representation, community education and referrals to both English and Spanish-speaking seniors who are raising minor children.  I represent clients in the areas of domestic issues, personal planning, housing and consumer protection.  

In September 2006, I will begin work as a staff attorney at Women Against Abuse, a non-profit legal service provider for survivors of domestic violence.  I will use my Spanish to provide legal representation in Protection from Abuse Petitions, Child Custody and Support matters.  

My Spanish language skills have been critical to every employment offer I have received since college.  These skills may very well make you eligible for employment for which you would not otherwise be a competitive candidate.  I encourage Spanish majors to spend as much time in Spanish-speaking countries as possible and to think creatively about how to use their Spanish to expand their job search.