Episode Summary: Welcome to our fourth episode of season 3 of Legal Well-Being in Action! Today’s episode is another installment of this year’s theme Well-Being: A Deeper Dive. For this episode we are joined by the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Alexander Uballez, and Aja Brooks, Executive Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico and the current Secretary-Treasurer for the State Bar of New Mexico Board of Bar Commissioners. In this episode, while Mr. Uballez and Ms. Brooks consider traditional notions of surface and internal well-being, they go beyond to explore the concept of community service as a cornerstone of well-being. They talk about the importance of following one’s core values, facing challenges, expressing gratitude, and maintaining a sense of humanity in the midst of working in a demanding, traumatic, and tragic filled environment, but likewise focus on the importance of serving one’s community to develop and sustain a source of pride, fulfillment, purpose and, ultimately, well-being.
Episode Bios:
United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez
Alexander M.M. Uballez serves as the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. Nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on January 26, 2022, and confirmed by the United States Senate on May 17, 2022, Mr. Uballez is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the district.
Prior to his confirmation as United States Attorney, Mr. Uballez was as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of New Mexico where he led organized crime investigations and prosecuted child sexual abuse and human trafficking crimes, transnational and organized crime, and violent crime. He also served as the District’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator, International Coordinator, and Internship Coordinator. Previously, Mr. Uballez served as an Assistant District Attorney in the First and Second Judicial District Attorney’s Offices of New Mexico where he prosecuted crimes against children, community and drug crimes, domestic violence and driving while intoxicated offenses.
Mr. Uballez received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 2011 and his B.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Pomona College in 2008.
Dates of Service
2022 - Present
Aja Brooks
Aja Nicole Brooks is the Executive Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. She enjoys public service and has worked in several different community-oriented roles during her legal career, including working for the Law Office of the Public Defender, as the Pro Bono Coordinator for New Mexico Legal Aid’s Volunteer Attorney Program, and as the Director of the Center for Self-Help and Dispute Resolution at the Second Judicial District Court. She serves as the current Secretary-Treasurer of the State Bar of New Mexico Board of Bar Commissioners, as the President of the New Mexico Black Lawyers Association, and as the Secretary of Region X of the National Bar Association.
Disclaimer:
Thank you for listening! This episode was produced by the State Bar of New Mexico’s Well-Being Committee and the New Mexico Lawyer Assistance Program. All editing and sound mixing was done by BlueSky eLearn. Intro music is by Gil Flores. The views of the presenters are that of their own and are not endorsed by the State Bar of New Mexico or the Department of Justice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.