NAME: Deborah Westbrook

AGE: 46

PARTY AFFILIATION: nonpartisan

DAY JOB: Chief Deputy Public Defender, Clark County Public Defender’s Office

EDUCATION:

o JD, University of Washington School of Law, 2002

o BS Psychology, University of Washington, 1998

HOW LONG YOU HAVE LIVED IN NEVADA: 18 years

WRITE A BRIEF (TWO TO THREE SENTENCES) SUMMARY OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD ENABLE YOU TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF THIS OFFICE:

With 20 years of experience in civil, criminal, and appellate law, I am the most qualified candidate for Judge in Department 1 of the Nevada Court of Appeals. For the past nine years, I have served our community as an appellate attorney at the Clark County Public Defender’s Office, representing individuals who cannot afford lawyers in their criminal appeals. Before that, I spent the better part of a decade as a civil litigator at a major labor and employment law firm in Las Vegas.

WHAT IS YOUR TOP PRIORITY IF ELECTED?

Court of Appeals Judges handle approximately 1,000 cases per year and are responsible for reviewing extensive trial records, analyzing complex legal issues, and writing clear and concise decisions very quickly. My top priority as a Court of Appeals Judge will be to do the work I was elected to do, to ensure the timely and fair disposition of all cases that are assigned to the Court.

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY—WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE JUDGE?

The proper role of a judge is to interpret and apply the laws as they are written, and not legislate from the bench. I will never prejudge the issues that come before me, and I will never “work backwards” to achieve a predetermined result. Instead, I will review and analyze the parties’ briefs, listen carefully during oral arguments, and apply the law to the unique facts of each case to reach the correct result. As a judge, I will write clear, easy-to-follow decisions that everyone can understand and apply in future cases.

IN ONE SENTENCE: WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING VOTERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU?

As the most qualified candidate for Judge in Department 1 of the Nevada Court of Appeals, I have earned the support of law enforcement, firefighters, businesses, labor unions, and community leaders throughout the State of Nevada.

YES OR NO: WILL YOU ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF THIS ELECTION, WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE?

Yes.