Legal analysis often depends on understanding the evidence behind a case. For matters involving medical records, healthcare systems, or regulatory standards, experience outside traditional legal training can provide additional context. R. Paola Vargas Daly, a lawyer based in New Mexico whose practice includes immigration, disability, criminal defense, and health-related legal matters, brings together legal education and a background in public health research.
Her professional experience includes a Master of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, more than six years as Director of Research at the Lupus Foundation of America, peer-reviewed research, a clerkship with Justice Briana Zamora of the New Mexico Supreme Court, and service as an Assistant District Attorney in New Mexico’s First Judicial District.
R. Paola Vargas Daly’s Research Background And Legal Perspective
Public health research examines how health outcomes are influenced by systems, access, resources, and institutional practices. This approach requires evaluating data, research methods, and the factors that shape outcomes across populations.
R. Paola Vargas Daly developed this perspective before entering legal practice. At Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, she earned a Master of Science in Public Health in 2010 with a concentration in women’s perinatal and reproductive health. Her research career later included work examining racial and ethnic disparities in lupus care.
R. Paola Vargas Daly’s public health research experience provides a foundation for understanding how medical information is collected, evaluated, and interpreted. This background is relevant in legal matters where documentation, expert opinions, and healthcare records influence decision-making.
Health Workforce Research And Understanding Healthcare Systems
Health workforce research examines how healthcare systems operate, including questions involving provider access, workforce structure, and the availability of care across communities. This type of research requires analyzing data about healthcare professionals, services, and the systems that support patient care.
At the American Academy of Physician Assistants, R. Paola Vargas Daly led the organization’s annual census of more than 20,000 physician assistants and conducted health workforce policy research using statistical analysis tools. This work provided experience evaluating healthcare workforce data and understanding how professional systems function.
R. Paola Vargas Daly’s health workforce research background adds another dimension to her legal perspective. Her experience studying healthcare systems complements legal work involving individuals whose cases intersect with medical information, disability processes, and access-related concerns.
Clinical Research And Regulatory Experience
Before entering legal practice, R. Paola Vargas Daly also worked in clinical research environments involving healthcare outcomes and regulatory requirements. At Clinical Outcomes Solutions, she managed qualitative research studies of approximately $200,000 each for biopharmaceutical clients, oversaw a team of four, and served as the primary FDA compliance liaison.
Clinical research requires careful attention to documentation, study procedures, and compliance standards. Experience in this area involves understanding how research information is developed, reviewed, and communicated.
R. Paola Vargas Daly’s regulatory experience developed through direct involvement with research operations and compliance responsibilities. This background contributes to a broader understanding of how evidence is created and evaluated in healthcare-related settings.
Connecting Research Training With Legal Practice
R. Paola Vargas Daly’s legal career applies a background that combines public health research and legal training. Her practice in New Mexico includes immigration, disability, criminal defense, and health-related legal matters, areas where records, procedures, and institutional systems can influence outcomes.
During law school at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, R. Paola Vargas Daly graduated magna cum laude and ranked first in her class. She also practiced as a student attorney in the Health Justice Project, a medical-legal partnership serving clients whose legal needs were directly connected to health circumstances.
That clinic experience included representing an asylum seeker who had survived death threats and sexual assault in Central America and successfully appealing a Social Security disability denial for a woman developing dementia who had spent her adulthood in low-wage work.
Research Experience Across Health Equity And Evidence-Based Analysis
The research career of R. Paola Vargas Daly includes work focused on health equity and underserved populations. As Director of Research at the Lupus Foundation of America for six and a half years, she contributed to peer-reviewed research examining racial and ethnic disparities in lupus outcomes.
She also co-wrote a multimillion-dollar federal grant from the Office of Minority Health focused on reducing disparities in lupus diagnosis and outcomes among Black and Latina women. Her published research includes articles in journals such as the Journal of Patient Reported Outcomes, Pediatric Rheumatology, Lupus, and the Journal of Medical Economics.
R. Paola Vargas Daly has developed a professional record that connects research methodology, healthcare systems, and legal practice. Her background includes evaluating health information from a research perspective and applying legal training to matters involving complex individual circumstances.
Legal Experience Built Across Public Institutions
R. Paola Vargas Daly’s legal experience includes appellate work, prosecution, and private practice. Before serving as an Assistant District Attorney, she clerked for Justice Briana Zamora on the New Mexico Supreme Court, where she drafted bench memoranda and reviewed legal materials from other chambers.
As an Assistant District Attorney in New Mexico’s First Judicial District, R. Paola Vargas Daly managed felony intake in Santa Fe County and later managed the Rio Arriba County misdemeanor docket. Her responsibilities included reviewing cases, preparing legal documents, handling proceedings, and working through matters from initial filing through resolution.
The combination of research experience and legal practice provides a framework for analyzing cases involving evidence, institutions, and individual circumstances.
About R. Paola Vargas Daly
R. Paola Vargas Daly is an attorney based in New Mexico practicing immigration, disability, criminal defense, and health-related legal matters. She holds a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude and ranked first in her class, and a Master of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
With a professional background spanning public health research, legal practice, judicial service, and prosecution, R. Paola Vargas Daly has worked across healthcare and legal systems. Learn more about R. Paola Vargas Daly.