Elon Law's director of academic and bar support explores the idea of attorneys as "cultural translators and social mediators" in a recent edition of the American Bar Association's International Law News.
“The Importance of Cultural Diplomacy in Curbing Border Disputes” explores the idea of attorneys as cultural translators and social mediators, the impact of word choice on discrimination, and the important role of lawyers as change makers.
Her article appears in the current edition of the ABA’s quarterly publication.
Barilla is an alumnus of The Hague Academy of International Law, a center for research and teaching in public and private international law that provides opportunities for contact with the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, international criminal courts and other institutions.
As a part of her law practice prior to entering academia, Barilla worked in a private firm specializing in general civil law, estate planning, contract law, and trust/corporate administration, immigration, education and juvenile law. She opened a second office in which she utilized her fluency in Italian and Spanish in her work with international contracts and business transactions, often traveling oversees to conduct and oversee business transactions on behalf of her clients.
She has developed and taught related courses including Introduction to Legal Methods, Legal Methods, and Advanced Legal Methods. She has also taught Introduction to International Law, Introduction to International Treaties, and International Business Transactions.
Barilla obtained her law degree with honors from Western State College of Law, where she also received the Academy of Appellate Lawyers Award for brief writing. During her last year at Western State College of Law, she worked in Heidelberg, Germany, for the Army Judge Advocate General.