Anna D. Aviles-Alfaro discusses her career journey which started as a mom right out of high school finding herself working as a legal secretary for a world-renowned international arbitration arbitrator. The support of those around her encouraged her to get her college degree and pursue a rewarding career as a paralegal first starting at the World Bank's ICSID institution and later in the private sector. Anna also shares her tips on work-life balance and how legal teams can work best with each other.

*Anna was working at Dechert LLP at the time of this recording.

HIGHLIGHTS:

00:30 Introduction and Background

01:50 Early Career at Pan Am

03:59 Starting as a Legal Secretary

05:23 Transition to Larger Law Firms

07:44 Back to a Path towards Higher Education

10:11 Balancing Work and Education

21:55 Working at ICSID at The World Bank

31:16 Career Advice for Aspiring Legal Professionals

36:28 Managing Stress and Work-Life Balance

40:58 Advice for New Paralegals

BIOGRAPHY:

Anna D. Aviles-Alfaro, Lead Arbitration Paralegal at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP

Anna started as a legal secretary and found herself into the world of International Arbitration. She later transitioned as a paralegal at the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) which is an institution for International Investment Arbitration Disputes. After a few years, she transitioned to the private sector where she is currently a leader in the paralegal sector for international disputes.

LINKS:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaavilesalfaro/