MIP’s Diverse Perspectives is a monthly blog feature to spotlight a member from North Carolina’s diverse community of attorneys and legal professionals. Each month, an MIP member shares their personal perspective through a brief set of interview questions.

This month’s perspective is courtesy of Sylvia Novinsky.

What law school did you attend, and when did you graduate?

I attended the Washington College of Law, at The American University. I graduated in 1992.

What inspired or prompted you to become an attorney?

I became an attorney because I wanted to speak out for others who were silenced or otherwise afraid to advocate for themselves.

My parents were born and raised in Argentina. They came to the United States with no language and very little money. My father went to school until the sixth grade and then had to work to help his family. My parents left Argentina in the hopes of living in a country where they could have freedoms their country did not provide. Additionally, being Jewish in Argentina is not always safe.

Living in a dictatorship is very scary. Upon returning to Argentina, I remember my parents telling me not to speak English in the streets for fear of the government hearing. I remember being stopped in the Argentine airport and watching my father get walked into a private room where government officials questioned him. I remember my mother being very scared. I remember the fear I experienced seeing soldiers on the streets with machine guns strapped across their bodies thinking, “Who are they looking for? What will they do with those guns?” I remember my cousin being brought into a police station because it was rumored they were speaking out against the government. I remember being told that women don’t go to college.

The freedom and ability to become a lawyer in only one generation is the promise this country delivers. In the U.S., I was able to go to college, become a lawyer, provide for myself financially, and practice our religion openly and safely.

Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have overcome in your professional career.

A huge obstacle for me was being a first-generation high school, college, and law student — the lack of knowledge and money are incredible barriers.

I learned English in the first grade from an amazing teacher. Her kindness and patience led me to a love of reading and a love for learning.

I did not know any lawyers. I gained so much from high school and university mentoring programs and caring school administrators. They challenged me to do things I didn’t think I could. I gained my confidence by trying, sometimes failing, and trying again.

I learned how to take care of myself financially and make sure I could always provide for myself and my family, while working for issues I care deeply about.

I am so grateful to my parents who gave up everything for me to achieve our dreams.

What message of encouragement do you have for others who may have experienced similar challenges or adversity as an attorney historically underrepresented in the legal profession?

You are not alone. Reach out to a school administrator, or legal affinity groups to find mentors. Their guidance and support can make this path a bit easier. Surround yourself with a cheerleading group who wants to see you succeed! Believe in yourself — when it feels like everyone else is smarter, more connected, more confident — know that you can do it! And finally, don’t forget to give back to others who are coming up behind you.

What one piece of advice, guidance, or wisdom would you give to new North Carolina lawyers?

Never stop learning. Take risks. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations and learn from them.

Sylvia K. Novinsky is the Pro Bono Resource Center’s inaugural director. Sylvia is tasked with supervising all of the Pro Bono Resource Center’s activities including serving as a clearinghouse for pro bono projects across the state, managing pro bono reporting and recognition, facilitating impactful pro bono projects which directly serve North Carolinians who would not otherwise have representation, uplifting the work of legal aid and other legal non-profits, coordinating trainings and CLEs for attorney volunteers, and recruiting and connecting volunteers directly to projects.

Sylvia comes to this role after nearly twenty years of service to the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she most recently held the role of Assistant Dean for Public Service Programs. During her tenure at Carolina Law, Sylvia founded and advised the UNC Law Pro Bono Program. She has also served as the institution’s Associate Director for Public Interest Law, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, and Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Sylvia also spends time inside the classroom as an adjunct professor, teaching “Spanish for American Lawyers” and “Leadership for Lawyers.”

Prior to her work in higher education, Sylvia worked as a legal aid attorney. After law school, Sylvia litigated federal employment-related issues and administrative unemployment, wage and hour claims, and consumer cases, for Peninsula Legal Aid in Virginia. She then served as Legal Director for the Center for Immigrants’ Rights in New York, New York, where she supervised a statewide hotline for immigrants and advocates and represented domestic workers on employment matters.

Sylvia grew up in Queens, NY, and is from Argentina. She is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations and The American University’s Washington College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland, the District of Columbia and New Jersey. She is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association serving on the Pro Bono Activities Committee, the Minorities in the Profession Committee and the Government and Public Service Section. She is also a member of the NC Advocates for Justice’s Hispanic and Latino Division.

February 13, 2023/by NCBA MIP