Before teaching at WSC, she sat as a New Mexico state level district court judge after serving as an attorney, primarily in the area of criminal law. She has served as a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney, and also has experience in the areas of civil rights, constitutional law, victim advocacy, and general areas of legal practice. She has trained law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals in the areas of arrest, search and seizure, report writing, warrant preparation, juvenile justice, fraud investigation and prevention, domestic violence investigation, and victim advocacy. She also sat on a governor’s domestic violence fatality review board.