A 2006 graduate of the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law, Debbie began her legal career clerking for the chief judge of the Utah Court of Appeals. She then practiced criminal defense in Salt Lake City before joining the Maryland Office of the Public Defender in 2012. In that role she developed a reputation for fierce, principled advocacy and for advancing systemic reform through creative, high-stakes litigation.

In 2017, Debbie was appointed Director of Special Litigation. There, she exposed police misconduct, challenged discovery abuses, and litigated complex felony matters. Her achievements include successful litigation to obtain internal affairs records, creation of a statewide police-misconduct database, and a landmark challenge to warrantless cellphone tracking by the Baltimore Police Department. She later served as Chief of Strategic Litigation, focusing on systemic injustices that disproportionately impact accused people and their communities.

Debbie is a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College, and is frequently invited to speak nationally on police misconduct and rigorous pretrial discovery practices. In 2018, she received the American Bar Association’s Charles H. Dorsey Award in recognition of outstanding public defender work.

She was selected to serve on the Board of Directors of both the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Association. She was recently inducted into the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, a premier organization honoring experienced criminal defense attorneys.

Debbie brings to Katz Levi Law a practiced courtroom presence, a record of precedent-setting litigation, and a steadfast dedication to protecting constitutional rights and pursuing justice for her clients.