Paula serves as the Director of Court Education. She served as the Court Services Deputy Division Director until recently and as the Sr. Statewide Language Access Program Manager until 2021. The 2020 Access to Justice Index, published by the National Center for Access to Justice, ranked the NM Judiciary’s Language Access Program under her direction #1 in the nation.

Paula is a nationally recognized expert in the language access field, and has spearheaded multiple initiatives and technologies to advance court access for LEP and low literacy individuals, and people with disabilities interacting with the NM State Courts. Paula is an ex officio member in the NM Judiciary of the NM Supreme Court’s Equity and Justice Commission, and created the Diversity and Inclusion Department within the AOC’s Court Services Division. She Co-Chairs NASJE’s Diversity, Fairness and Access Committee, and served as an NCSC’s Council of Language Access Coordinators liaison to COSCA’s National Language Access Advisory Committee until 2023. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she received a Master’s Degree in Translation and pursued doctoral studies in English.

Sonya Duke-Noel holds a J.D. from the University of New Mexico and a B.A. in Human Services/Criminal Justice from Ottawa University. She has more than ten years of experience as an attorney and more than twenty-seven years of experience working in the New Mexico justice system.

Sonya’s strong institutional knowledge of the NMJB and her understanding of how the courts function has led her to appreciate the importance of training and education. She is honored to serve the New Mexico Judiciary through her work at CEI.

Sarah Pepin holds a J.D. from the City University of New York School of Law and a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College. She has more than ten years of experience as a litigator in New Mexico courts. In her time as a criminal defense attorney, Sarah spent countless hours training new attorneys and walking individual clients through the nuances of the judicial process. She also spent three years working with the Second Judicial District’s Young Adult Court, a treatment court aimed at reducing recidivism and improving life outcomes for young people. All of Sarah’s time working with individuals prepared and motivated her to broaden her focus, so she is delighted to work with CEI and the judiciary as a whole. 

With a passion for justice and bilingual fluency, Jazmine Herrera is equipped to make a positive impact. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Spanish from New Mexico State University, giving her the knowledge and skills to create change while blending her interests in law, culture, and language. As a former case manager at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, she dedicated her career to serving the justice system and the people of New Mexico. Now, she brings her expertise in education and passion for public service to the Court Education Institute. Eager to leverage her background, she is committed to empowering the New Mexico Judiciary through training and development. Her dedication to lifelong learning will support the Institute’s mission of promoting justice through education.

Laurie holds a B.S. with honors and a Latin American Studies certificate, and an M.A. in political science from Oklahoma State University. After Laurie worked as a Legislative Analyst in the Texas Senate, and managed public relations and marketing for the United Way of Amarillo, she moved to Santa Fe. Laurie worked in the Roundhouse as a legislative aide to the Speaker of the House, then joined JID as a trainer when FACTS, the case management system used prior to Odyssey, was rolled out statewide. She loved training, and worked as a trainer and project manager for two court software companies which took her to Kentucky.

Missing New Mexico, Laurie joined the help desk at ACS so she could work remotely from Taos. Laurie then gained valuable experience as a group sales manager Director of Sales at Taos area resorts and hotels before joining the Eighth Judicial District as a court monitor. Laurie grew up in Amarillo, Texas, and is married to Christopher Moreau, a Canadian with whom she loves to laugh and travel.

Arlene Baca is the Statewide Integration & Training Coordinator with the Court Education Institute, a division of the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts. She joined CEI in July 2024.  She has 25 years of experience with the judiciary – but not in a solid block of time.  Arlene started with the Second Judicial District Court in 1986 and left in 1997 to start her own company.  She was the founder and CEO for Dynamic Concepts Inc, a technical services company catering to the semiconductor and optics industries worldwide.  In 2007, she turned over daily operations of the company to her Vice-President and husband so she could return to the work she missed – and to pursue a state retirement!  Arlene joined the Thirteenth Judicial District Court in 2007 and then moved on to the Judicial Information Division in 2019. 

Margarita holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Michigan State University and a B.A. in Sociology from Alma College. She recently served as an IT Project Manager for the Judiciary. Margarita’s strong project management skills, experience in education and solid background in technology are a perfect fit for this position given the Institute’s short and mid term plans to acquire court education technologies such as a Learning Management System (LMS), a conference and event planning application, and develop a strong website presence. 

Born in New Mexico, Vanessa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology with a minor in psychology from the University of New Mexico. She came from the University of New Mexico Civil Construction and Environmental Engineering Department. Starting off her career for the courts in the Background Investigations Division at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court as a case initiator and bonding clerk. She enjoys learning about the courts and their atmospheres. Being able to understand the justice system helps her to enhance the Judiciary for the State of New Mexico.