Balaguer studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1914. He served as a municipal judge in Santiago de los Caballeros from 1917 to 1919, and as secretary of the Department of Justice and Public Instruction from 1919 to 1920. He was also a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1924.
Mastering the Legacy: Exploring Joaquín Balaguer's Impact on the Dominican Republic