Born in 1971 in Jelgava (Latvia), Ms Laila Medina studied at the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (Malta) where she obtained a master’s degree in international maritime law in 1995. She was subsequently awarded a master’s degree in European law in 2002 at the Rīgas Juridiskā augstskola (Riga Graduate School of Law, Latvia).

In 1995, she joined the Latvian Ministry of Transport as Head of the Legal Division and Deputy Director of the Maritime Department. She served in that capacity until 2002, when she was appointed as Adviser to the Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Ministry.

From 2004 to 2005, Ms Medina held the position of Deputy Head of the European Affairs Office at the State Chancellery of the Republic of Latvia.

In 2005, she joined the Latvian Ministry of Justice as Director of the Policy Planning Department. From 2006, she was Deputy State Secretary for Sector Policy in the Ministry of Justice, then Deputy State Secretary for Legal Policy from 2009 to 2021.

Ms Medina’s career also includes teaching activities. Between 1998 and 2006, she was a lecturer in European law and European institutional law at the Valsts administrācijas skola (School of Public Administration, Latvia). In 2012, she provided training to judges and notaries on the Rome III Regulation. Finally, since 2008, she has been a board member of the Law Faculty of the Biznesa augstskola Turība (‘Turība’ Business School, Latvia).

Ms Medina was appointed as an Advocate General at the Court of Justice on 7 October 2021.