For Rutgers Law School student and Army National Guard member Luzisania Figueras, the path to the legal profession has been anything but conventional. As first-generation college student, she once faced the possibility of putting her education aside when financial aid ran out. Rather than abandon her goals, she joined the military, beginning a journey that would allow her to serve her country while continuing her education and discovering a passion for advocacy. Today she is balancing law school, a full-time career and a new role as a mother, all while preparing for a future as a litigator. As a recipient of a New Jersey State Bar Foundation scholarship, she is now one step closer to a goal years in the making. She recently spoke about her journey, the lessons she learned through military service and the example she hopes to set for others.
Tell me about where you grew up and what your life was like before you joined the military.
I was born in Newark and raised in Elizabeth, primarily by my mom. I’m a first-generation college student. Growing up, higher education didn’t always feel like something that was attainable. Not a lot of people around me pursued college because, for many families, it just didn’t seem financially feasible. My mom was always the person who motivated me and pushed me to want more for myself. She reminded me not to give up on my dreams, even if the path wasn’t easy or there wasn’t someone in our family who had done it before. She wanted to give me the foundation I needed to succeed, and education was a big part of that. In high school I was fortunate to participate in programs which gave first-generation students exposure to college and the opportunity to take classes during the summer. I was also involved in JROTC, so I had some exposure to the military from a young age.
When I had the opportunity to go to Rutgers University in New Brunswick for my undergraduate studies, it meant everything to me. I received grants and scholarships my first year, but eventually that funding ran out. I found myself at a crossroads. I had made it this far, I was the first person in my family to do so, and I had my family looking up to me. I didn’t want finances to be the reason I had to give up on my education. That was a major reason I decided to join the military. I knew that if I was going to find a way to pay for my education, I was willing to earn that opportunity through my service. I had to take a break from school for a period, but when I returned, I was a member of the Army National Guard and was able to continue my education while simultaneously building my military career.
Where did you travel and serve during your time in the military?
I remained in the United States during my service, but the military took me to several places around the country. I spent time at Fort Jackson in South Carolina and Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. When I returned to New Jersey, I was often stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and I also traveled to places like Virginia and Louisiana for additional training.
One of the benefits of serving in the National Guard was that when my military duties were finished, I could come home, take off my military hat, put my graduation cap back on and continue pursuing my education. Balancing those two parts of my life wasn’t always easy, but it allowed me to serve while continuing to work toward my goals.
Are there particular experiences or lessons from your military service that have had a lasting impact on you?
One of the things that has stayed with me most is seeing how people from different backgrounds and walks of life can come together around a common mission. You learn to put aside your differences to work as a team and rely on one another. When things get difficult, you’re in a high-stress environment or you’re away from your family for an extended period of time, you have each other.
The military also taught me the importance of taking care of people. If I’m responsible for people who are new to the military or for a squad, I have to check on them and make sure they’re OK. You need to know that your people are in the right place mentally and emotionally before you can go out and accomplish the mission. In a way, all of those experiences have also brought me back to the law. At the heart of it is advocacy. You can’t effectively advocate for people unless you’re willing to be there, listen to them and understand what they need. My military service has taught me that I’m capable of being someone others can rely on, especially when they’re going through difficult moments.
When did you begin thinking about becoming a lawyer?
It took me some time to figure out what I wanted to do. I had always heard that you go to college in order to build a successful life. But once I got there, I realized I didn’t necessarily know what came next or what career I wanted to pursue. I realized how much I loved reading and writing and ultimately double-majored in English and communication and minored in sociology. Looking back, there were a lot of signs pointing me toward the law. I joined the debate team and participated in the pre-legal program, which gave me some exposure to law school. I also became involved in advocacy and volunteer work. As a court-appointed special advocate, I worked with children in the foster care system, meeting with them regularly, accompanying them to court and making recommendations to judges. I also worked in violence prevention and as a victim advocate, supporting survivors of domestic violence as they navigated interactions with doctors, police and the court system. At the time I didn’t fully realize how closely that advocacy work intersected with the law. I just knew I wanted to be there for people during moments when they needed someone the most.
During law school you became a mother. How has that experience shaped your journey and your determination to become a lawyer?
When I became pregnant, I never viewed motherhood and law school as competing choices. I never thought, “Now I’m becoming a mother, so maybe this isn’t the right time.” If anything, becoming a mother made me even more intentional about finishing what I started. Suddenly there was someone who might one day look at the decisions I made and the example I set.
One of my favorite memories from law school happened when I was nearly nine months pregnant with my daughter, Emilia. I was competing in the semifinals of our Hunter Moot Court competition, standing in a courtroom and making an argument before a panel of real judges. I loved every minute of it. I remember thinking that one day I’ll be able to tell Emilia that she was already there with me. Before she was even born, before she could ever see me inside a courtroom, she had already stood in one with her mom. That experience reinforced for me that this is what I’m meant to do.
Once you graduate, what kind of lawyer do you hope to become? How have your life experiences shaped the work you want to do and the people you hope to serve?
My immediate goal is to finish law school strong and gain as much practical litigation experience as possible. I know that I want to be a litigator, so I’m trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can to develop those skills. I also want service and mentorship to remain important parts of my life. I’m particularly interested in supporting first-generation students and people who may not see a traditional path into the legal profession.
My own path has certainly not been traditional, and I don’t want others to become discouraged because their path looks different. If I can set an example or encourage someone else to keep going, I want to do that. Sometimes one door closes and you have to find another way forward. You have to understand why you’re pursuing this path and keep pushing toward it. I may not know exactly what area of law I’ll ultimately practice in, but I know I want to litigate and advocate for others and continue serving the communities around me.
What does receiving a scholarship from the New Jersey State Bar Foundation mean to you, both financially and as recognition of the path you’ve taken to law school?
It means a lot to me. Having gone through a point in my undergraduate education when I had to completely rethink how I was going to stay in school because my funding had run out, I don’t take educational support lightly. The financial assistance absolutely makes a difference, especially at this point in my life as a new mother balancing law school, my full-time career and military service. But the scholarship means more to me than the financial support alone. There’s something incredibly meaningful about being recognized for the journey I’ve taken and the work I’ve put in to get here. It feels like someone looked at my story and said, “We believe in you and we think you’re worth investing in.” For someone who once had to step away from school because the money ran out, that means a great deal. When I look at where I started and where I am today, receiving this scholarship reminds me of how far I’ve come. It doesn’t just help me finish law school. It gives me even more motivation to keep going.