Deborah Gates was born in Laguna Beach, California and raised in Ketchum, Idaho. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Santa Clara University, graduating with minors in Philosophy and Performing Arts. After completing her undergraduate work, Ms. Gates earned her juris doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law.

During law school, Ms. Gates interned for the Department of Children and Family Services’ contracted law firm, representing the children of families where abuse was alleged, including lower income clients in child custody cases. Also during law school, Ms. Gates interned for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office representing low income individuals in criminal matters. After graduating from law school, Deborah worked in the areas of bankruptcy, tax litigation, insurance defense, patent & copyright litigation, & asbestos defense. Most recently, Deborah has been practicing criminal, family, and immigration law. Deborah joins Barrera Legal Group as an associate attorney, specializing in immigration, criminal defense, divorce, child custody, and child support modification cases, as well as bankruptcy, guardianship, and adoption.