REWIND: Anna Aviles-Alfaro: Navigating Career, Family, and Life in International Law

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 Background01:50 Early Career at Pan Am03:59 Starting as a Legal Secretary05:23 Transition to Larger Law Firms07:44 Back to a Path towards Higher Education10:11 Balancing Work and Education21:55 Working at ICSID at The World Bank31:16 Career Advice for Aspiring Legal Professionals36:28 Managing Stress and Work-Life Balance40:58 Advice for New ParalegalsBIOGRAPHY:Anna D. Aviles-Alfaro, Lead Arbitration Paralegal at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLPAnna 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/