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Supreme Court of Nevada Fiat Justitia

Judge Deborah L. Westbrook

Judge Deborah L. Westbrook

Judge Deborah L. Westbrook was elected in November 2022 to serve a six-year term on the Nevada Court of Appeals that commenced in January 2023.

Judge Westbrook was born in the Pacific Northwest and graduated valedictorian of Mercer Island High School. In 1998, she received her Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Washington, with honors, magna cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa. After working briefly as a journalist, Judge Westbrook earned her law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 2002, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, she served on the Washington Law Review as both the Topics Editor and an author.

Prior to taking the bench, Judge Westbrook practiced law in Nevada for nearly two decades. From 2013 to 2022, she served as a chief deputy public defender in the appellate division of the Clark County Public Defender’s Office. Before that, Judge Westbrook practiced labor and employment law at Littler Mendelson from 2005 to 2013, and at Kamer Zucker Abbott from 2004 to 2005. Judge Westbrook developed a love of appellate practice when she clerked for Chief Judge Eric T. Washington on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in 2003.

In 2021 and 2022, Judge Westbrook was named one of Vegas Inc.’s Top Lawyers for appellate work. She was also named Defender of the Year in 2021 for her volunteer work on behalf of the Nevada Attorneys for Criminal Justice. In 2020, Judge Westbrook received the Scott H. Waite Award for Excellence in Indigent Defense from the Clark County Public Defender’s Office. Judge Westbrook was also named one of America’s Leading Lawyers for Business by Chambers USA in 2012 and 2013.

Judge Westbrook is highly respected for her leadership and contributions to Nevada’s legal community. From 2020 to 2026, Judge Westbrook served on the Editorial Board of the Nevada Lawyer magazine, both as an Issue Editor and past Chair. She currently serves as Vice President of the Howard D. McKibben Chapter of the American Inns of Court. Judge Westbrook also actively participates in the Appellate Litigation Section of the State Bar of Nevada, as Secretary in 2022, and currently as an At Large Member and CLE Chair. Since 2022, Judge Westbrook has mentored aspiring attorneys through the Huellas Mentorship Program at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Over the years, Judge Westbrook has served on various Commissions of the Nevada Supreme Court. Most recently, Judge Westbrook co-chaired the Commission on the Nevada Rules of Appellate Procedure (NRAP), culminating in the August 2024 amendments to the NRAP. From 2016 to 2023, Judge Westbrook was an integral member of the Nevada Supreme Court’s Criminal Jury Instructions Subcommittee, which published the Nevada Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions in January 2023.

Judge Westbrook enjoys spending time with her husband, their son, and their two boxer dogs. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and practicing yoga.