A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Barbara attended Louisiana State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2001 and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center where she received her Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Civil Law in 2006. While in law school, she was invited to join the Wex Malone American Inns of Court; received a judicial internship with the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal; and clerked for the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Barbara moved to Lafayette after her graduation from law school and now practices in the areas of estate planning, successions, and business planning. She is a member in good standing of the Lafayette and Louisiana State Bar Associations, serves on the Promulgator Editorial Board, and is a member of the Inn of Court of Acadiana.