How Carmen Contributed to My Life as a New Attorney

How Carmen Contributed to My Life as a New Attorney

The following description was submitted by an outside party. The views expressed are the individual’s own and are not representative of the Museum of Ventura County.

[User contributed description]Users of this archive will learn how dedicated Carmen was to her community by helping young women lawyers start their careers.

Caitlin Rodriguez (Fitzpatrick)

2019

Text document

Carmen Ramirez
Attorney
Legal community

Ventura County (Calif.)

Rights are retained by the creator.

Carmen Ramirez Remembrance Project

I met Carmen Ramirez through my father. My father, Brian Fitzpatrick, was public defender in Ventura in the 90s. I believe my father met her through the local legal community. When I decided to pursue my legal career, he introduced me to her and always had great things to say about her. While I was in law school, I interned for a local Ventura firm. It was during this time that Carmen suggested I come to some Women Lawyers of Ventura County meetings. She was always so kind and encouraging as I shared my fears and struggles as a law student. Once I passed the bar and became an attorney, she paid for my first year of membership with the Women Lawyers of Ventura County. I felt so grateful that she would do that for me. It made me feel as though I had support as I entered the local legal community. I know she contributed to the community like this and in many other, more significant ways. When my father passed away in 2020, she reached out to me to offer her condolences. It meant so much to me but I know that's the kind of woman she was. Even with all that she did and what I'm sure was a very busy schedule, she took the time to reach out. I felt proud to know her because I know how important she was. I was devastated to hear of her passing as I know so many others were. She is greatly missed.