Darlene Prescott is a native Texan, and earned a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1976. She moved to New York City and worked for the United Nations for 28 years, completing two U.N. peacekeeping assignments—in the Middle East and East Timor (now Timor-Leste). While working for the U.N., she earned her law degree (J.D.) from New York Law School in 1990, subsequently passing the New York State Bar. For the last 13 years of her international career, she was a Legal Officer with the U.N. Office of Legal Affairs.

After retiring from the United Nations in November 2005, Darlene returned to the Houston area and was accepted by the Texas State Bar. She has performed pro bono work with such organizations as the YMCA International Services, assisting human trafficking victims obtain U.S. visas. She is a board member of the Houston Chapter of the UNA-USA, a non-profit organization that supports the principles and work of the U.N.

Darlene has had a number of articles on public international law topics published in various media. She has self-published an award-winning book on the American alligator, entitled Texas Alligators: A Wildlife Profile, and has had a couple of newspaper articles on the subject published, as well. Two of Darlene’s short stories have placed in writing contests and published by the Texas Association of Authors. One, “Early Wanderings and Unholy Revelations,” concerns her assignment in the Middle East. The other, “Problem Solving in an Imperfect World,” is a fictional account of a sympathetic attorney who represents prostitutes.

Traveling is another interest. Darlene has traveled to 50 countries—and plans to add more to her list, as well as return to some of those already visited. Australia is one of her favorites—no gators, but lots of crocs in the country’s northern territory.