She teaches courses relating to land and water law (municipal, real estate, the environmental law clinic and water law), and between 2011 and 2015 facilitated a unique field course in the Central Coast at the Hakai Beach Institute on Calvert Island. Deborah’s research areas involve environmental governance, which implicates colonial and indigenous laws, law and the city, and water law. As the Acting Executive Director of the Environmental Law Centre at UVic, she supervises students working on environmental law projects for community organizations and First Nations across the province. For over 20 years she has worked with local governments and community organizations to develop legal strategies for smart growth and sustainability.