Ms. Paulino earned her bachelors degree from Brown University in 1999 and law degree from Albany Law School in 2002. As a student, she was on the Moot Court Board and served as a Team Coach, as well as a member of the Latino Law Student Association and the Black Law Student Association.

After graduation, she joined the New York State Senate as a Fellow assigned to State Senator Seymour Lachman and hired by State Senator Ada L. Smith.

Ms. Paulino left the Senate in 2005 and worked for the Law Office of James E. Long. She also served as an Assistant Public Defender in Albany County from 2006 to 2008. In that time, she represented defendants charged with misdemeanors and felonies at all stages of the criminal case.

She returned to the State Senate in 2009 as a Senior Counsel to the Senate Democratic Conference and was appointed to her current position of Secretary to the Senate Democratic Conference in 2011, becoming the first Latina in New York State Senate history to hold that position.

In 2016, Ms. Paulino joined Albany Law School as an Adjunct Professor specializing in NYS Election Law, and an Advisory Member of the Board of the Government Law Center of Albany Law School. She teaches Election Law and has a private law practice focusing on Election and Criminal Law.