Deborah completed her law degree at Griffith University. She has worked in both private practice and government, having worked in firms in Brisbane and Toowoomba and Crown Law. She has also worked for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. She has experience in a range of areas, including local government, planning and environmental law, commercial and property law, competition and consumer law, administrative law and banking and finance. She has performed work for USQ for a number of years and also has qualifications in teaching.