When Margarita Karasik-McGee was growing up in Gomel, Belarus, she could hardly have imagined that one day she would graduate from law school and open her own law practice in Southern California.

Margarita earned her bachelors from Florida Tech in 2013, studying criminal justice. Her passion for the law was ignited. “I guess it’s a little cliché to say, but I have always loved the field of law. I first discovered legal reports when I worked for a worker’s comp clinic. I would spend hours reading reports and motions sent to the office. I realized that law was something I wanted to study, and I had become completely infatuated with the entire field,” explained Margarita.  

This led her to become a paralegal, a career she pursued for 14 years. But she wanted to do more professionally, so she decided to further her education and ultimately become an attorney. The biggest challenge Margarita faced was finding a law school that would accommodate her need to continue working part-time and provide enough flexibility to deal with the demands of her pregnancy.

Back to School, Overcoming Challenges

Margarita chose the University of West Los Angeles’s (UWLA) School of Law based on numerous recommendations from friends who had graduated from the school and gone on to be highly successful in their respective fields.

“Studying for my JD wasn’t always easy. I graduated seven months pregnant with my son, Vincent, so it was challenging with the stress of classwork and exams. But clearly, we made it through. It was additionally hard for my family because my father was very sick at the time, and at one point I did not believe he would live to see me graduate. However, he was a fighter and fought long and hard enough to see me get sworn into the California Bar. Unfortunately, two weeks after I was sworn in, he passed,” stated Margarita.

Invaluable Resources Make a Real Difference

Margarita immediately saw the benefits of attending UWLA. “UWLA equipped me not only for becoming a JD, but it provided me the tools and confidence I needed to become an ESQ. Honestly, I made lifelong friends at UWLA and am forever grateful for that experience and the many connections I established,” Margarita professed.

She expressed immense gratitude for the many resources that were available to her at the school, particularly when she was studying for the bar. In addition, her professors were always available to answer questions and provide further guidance.

After graduating and passing the bar, Margarita worked as a court-appointed attorney for Los Angeles County, representing parents fighting CPS. She also wrote several appeals and appeared in front of the 4^th Appellate District. While this work was rewarding, she yearned for more autonomy, so she decided to open her own law practice in San Dimas, California.

Striking a Work/Life Balance

“My son loves to play baseball, and if I wanted to watch him play and be more involved in his life, I needed to change gears and find more flexibility. Opening up my own firm has allowed me to be a part of his life in ways I never dreamed of, and because of that, it has brought us closer together as a family,” stated Margarita.

While she is very busy balancing the dueling demands of her law practice and being a mom, she remains deeply involved in her local community.  “I am an ambassador for the San Dimas Chamber, where I volunteer my time and help with many of our local events. I sit on the San Dimas Little League Board, and I volunteer a lot of time my time on the field. I am also part of my son’s school PTA where I volunteer whenever my help is needed,” added Margarita. 

Advise for Others  

Margarita is passionate when it comes to encouraging others to pursue their dreams. Her advice to others is, “Don’t give up! Do not ever give up!  The path is hard and sometimes never-ending, but the ride is worth it in the end. I used to believe that passing the bar would be my biggest achievement, but I now realize it was the stepping stone to the rest of my life. I plan to give back as much as I've been given by this community. Becoming an attorney and knowing that I have the power to change lives and real outcomes for people every day, is a superpower I cannot explain. Strength, significance, and support are all words that inspire me, and I hope to live up to them every day,” Margarita concluded.

She continues to make good on her promise to pay it forward, with plans in the coming weeks to speak at a local continuing education school about her life’s journey to become an attorney. She also plans to get even more involved in the coming years with her local foster youth home, helping with events, fundraising, and speaking with foster youth about her personal experiences and how they motivated her to succeed.

You can connect with Margarita on LinkedIn, Instagram, or through her firm’s website: https://lawofficeofmargaritakarasikmcgee.com/