Deputy District Attorney Diana Weiss visited the Los Medanos’ Law society March 1 to come and speak on the profession of being a lawyer and ways to get a foot in the door.

Weiss has been in this position for 18 years, serving the sexual assault unit for three terms over the course of nine years. 

How she got here was anything but normative. She went to an Ivy League school to become a paralegal and the hostility of male coworkers drove her to become a lawyer. 

“I was not the smartest person in my class, but I worked hard to get a better life for myself,” Weiss said. 

Juggling the pressures of family, school, pregnancy and work, Weiss graduated first in her class and passed the California Bar exam on her first attempt. 

Leading to her first main claim of her speech: “Don’t let your life get in front of your dreams,” she told the students that if she could do what she did, anyone can do the same. No matter whatever walk of life a person may be in, taking an alternate route to your destination is okay. 

When asked whether cases get put aside due to low staff, she responded, “All cases are as important as the first. If there is a case that is understaffed, it may take years for there to be a court case or any action of the matter.” 

She used a few examples leading to a sub-claim that doing something you love makes life happier. 

“I am a lawyer, and doing the thing I love most for a living makes work feel like play,” she said. 

Insinuating that no matter what students are pursuing, doing what they love makes them thrive in life. 

This led Weiss to her final claim about failure. She led in with a story about her first few cases as an attorney. Weiss said her first four trials she attempted she lost. 

She relayed the grand realization to the students, “The more you lose, the more you learn.”  

In a court case, there is always a winner and a loser. 

She gave another example from her life with her speaking skills. She did not like to publicly speak and was “horrible” at it, according to Weiss. 

After many years of practice within the court and speaking to growing crowds, she learned how to publicly speak and win her cases. 

She finished off with parting words for the students, “Believe in yourself and follow your dreams.”