Deborah Johnson served as Law Clerk to the Hon. Napoleon A. Jones, Jr., of the United States District Court (S.D. Cal.) in San Diego and worked for six years as a Law Associate with Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris , Glovsky & Popeo, P.C., in Boston.

Johnson was Director of Youth Programs at the Boston Center for Community & Justice is a member of the Board of Directors for both the Center for Collaborative Education and the Elizabeth Stone House, which assists women and families suffering the effects of domestic violence and other trauma.  Johnson is a member of three state bars: California, Massachusetts, and New York.