Melba Aguilar

Melba Aguilar is an associate attorney at Robles, Rael & Anaya in Albuquerque, which she joined in July 2026. Her legal background includes child welfare and public service. Before joining the firm, she represented social workers at the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department in child abuse and neglect cases. That work required attention to complex family circumstances, courtroom practice, and the legal standards that govern protection of children.

Aguilar earned a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2025 and a Natural Resources and Environmental Law Certificate. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, earned in 2015. Her training in science and law supports an analytical approach to difficult records, systems, and legal questions.

Aguilar first joined the Children, Youth and Families Department in 2023 as a law clerk through the UNM Jaramillo Clerkship program. Following her admission to the bar in September 2025, she took on the department’s Indian Child Welfare Act role. She managed more than 80 Bernalillo County cases and developed training to help social workers understand legal requirements and prepare for court.

Melba Aguilar, before law school, worked in scientific research and taught high school science and engineering. As a law student, she founded a children’s law society and became a Bergstrom Child Welfare Fellow. These experiences show a sustained interest in education and children’s legal issues. She brings that background to her work as an attorney, with an emphasis on practical analysis and public service.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Robles, Rael, Anaya
• Member, State Bar of New Mexico
• Member, New Mexico Judicial Nominating Commission
• Member, Albuquerque Bar Association
• Member, New Mexico Defense Lawyers’ Association
• Member, New Mexico Hispanic Bar Board of Directors
• Board Member, Village of Questa Economic Development Fund
• Former Chairman, New Mexico Lottery Board

Licensed State

• New Mexico

Education

• University of New Mexico School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
  Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemical Engineering

Awards & Badges