Name and title: Carolina Bravo-Karimi, Managing Partner Elect at Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP
Undergraduate and law school: B.A. from Harvard University, MSc from London School of Economics and Political Science, and J.D. from University of San Diego School of Law
Years in practice: 13 years
Why do you serve?
My mom taught me, and I truly believe, that if each of us help one person, we would live in a more equitable and happier world. Helping and serving is infectious — so hopefully my service will inspire those around me to do the same.
What/Who inspires you to serve?
My mom — from whom I inherited the “service gene.” I cannot a recall a single day of my childhood that did not involve my mom talking to a complete stranger (often a cashier at the grocery store or server at a restaurant) about how to enroll in school or sitting down at our kitchen table volunteering her time to teach educators and nurses how to speak Spanish so they could communicate with their students and patients. As an educator herself, she has single-handedly changed the lives of countless underrepresented students and their families thanks to her lifelong mentorship and support of these individuals. I hope to do the same.
What advice would you give others to inspire them to serve?
The benefits of serving are two-fold: you can simultaneously lift someone up while also filling your heart with genuine joy. Serving simply makes you feel whole.
Please list three noteworthy people (living or dead) you’d want to have dinner with and why.
(1) My grandmother — I would tell her all about my life since I was 15, and I would ask her what it was like to be one of the first women to attend and graduate from college in Chile.
(2) Barack and Michelle Obama — To discuss what inspires them to continue their commitment to service.
(3) VP Kamala Harris — How being a multiracial female has impacted her journey.
What is one item on your bucket list?
I would like to travel to Cuba.
What is your favorite quote?
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” — RBG
Favorite place on earth?
Anywhere my family is (and Istanbul).
Favorite place in San Diego?
My home (and Torrey Pines State Beach).
Cherished advice that you have received from a loved-one, mentor or colleague?
To always be unapologetically and authentically myself.
If you could magically change one thing about the world, what would it be?
Ensure every child receives an excellent education — preschool through university.
How can others make giving back part of their daily lives?
Find what you are passionate about, and let that passion inspire you to help even one person.
In what ways does serving the wider community benefit the legal profession?
For me, serving the wider community benefits the legal profession because my focus on diversifying the pipeline will hopefully translate into a more diverse and inclusive legal community — a community that reflects the members it serves.
The SDCBA Law Day theme this year is “Advancing the Rule of Law Now.” What does this theme mean to you in your work and in your daily life?
This is a call to action, as both a lawyer and a member of society, to ensure laws are applied equally and fairly to all.
As a recipient of a 2020 Service Award, who would you like to thank?
First and foremost, I would like to thank my partner in all things, my husband Andrea. Our shared passion for and dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion starts at home with our two kids. This shared passion, however, also sometimes means time away from our family, which would not be possible without his partnership and support. I would also like to thank my mom and dad who taught my brother and me to be proud of our multicultural, multiracial background — who always made us feel it was our special superpower. I also want to thank them for modeling paying it forward, day in and day out. Thank you also to all of my colleagues at Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP for inspiring me and giving me the space to work towards a more inclusive and diverse legal community. And importantly, thank you to all the students and mentees I have worked with over the years for continuously proving to me that the work we are doing is equally meaningful as it is transformative.