She earned her Ph.D. in Criminology and Justice Policy from Northeastern University in 2010. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., she worked as a prosecutor in Worcester County and ultimately became an Assistant District Attorney. She exclusively prosecuted domestic violence crimes, bringing over 50 cases to trial. She then supervised a specialized domestic violence court in Suffolk County from September 2000 until September 2001 when she was promoted to the Suffolk Superior Court Domestic Violence Unit. From September 2001 until April 2004 she worked on indicting and prosecuting serious felonies involving domestic violence.