--- title: "Deborah L. Westbrook | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/deborah-l-westbrook-chief-judge-court-of-appeals-dept-1-nv" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-07-26" --- # Deborah L. Westbrook Nevada Court of Appeals · Chief Judge ## Profile - Court: Nevada Court of Appeals - State: Nevada - Role: Chief Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### recording photography electronic devices Scope: statewide Nevada prohibits using cameras, cellular phones, or other electronic devices to photograph or record courtroom proceedings unless the judge expressly permits it. Evidence excerpt: the use of cameras, cellular phones or other electronic devices to photograph or record courtroom proceedings without the express permission of the judge is prohibited [Nevada Rules on Electronic Coverage of Court Proceedings](https://nvcourts.gov/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/11729/rules_on_electronic_coverage_of_court_proceedings.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### advance media request Scope: statewide Nevada news reporters seeking electronic courtroom coverage must file a written request with the judge at least 24 hours before the proceeding, subject to judicial discretion. Evidence excerpt: News reporters desiring permission to provide electronic coverage of a proceeding in the courtroom shall file a written request with the judge at least 24 hours before the proceeding commences [Nevada Rules on Electronic Coverage of Court Proceedings](https://nvcourts.gov/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/11729/rules_on_electronic_coverage_of_court_proceedings.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://nvcourts.gov/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/12202/Judicial_Directory-Term_of_Office_01.09.25.pdf) - [Official roster](https://nvcourts.gov/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/12202/Judicial_Directory-Term_of_Office_01.09.25.pdf) - [Nevada Judiciary official judicial roster](https://nvcourts.gov/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/12202/Judicial_Directory-Term_of_Office_01.09.25.pdf) - [Nevada Rules on Electronic Coverage of Court Proceedings](https://nvcourts.gov/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/11729/rules_on_electronic_coverage_of_court_proceedings.pdf) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/deborah-l-westbrook-chief-judge-court-of-appeals-dept-1-nv", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/deborah-l-westbrook-chief-judge-court-of-appeals-dept-1-nv", "name": "Deborah L. 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Washington on the D.C. Court of Appeals in 2003 - Chief Judge, Nevada Court of Appeals ### Education ### Additional information - Westbrook has served on multiple Nevada Supreme Court commissions, including co‐chairing the Commission on the Nevada Rules of Appellate Procedure (2020–2024) - Elected in the November 8, 2022 general election to the nonpartisan Department 1 seat on the Nevada Court of Appeals, defeating Rhonda Forsberg - She was named Defender of the Year in 2021 - received the Scott H. Waite Award for Excellence in Indigent Defense in 2020 - Born in the Pacific Northwest, Westbrook graduated valedictorian from Mercer Island High School, obtained a B.S. in Psychology (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Washington in 1998, and later a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 2002, elected to the Order of the Coif - She has been active in the American Inns of Court (Howard D. McKibben Chapter, Vice President) and the State Bar of Nevada’s Appellate Litigation Section - She also mentors through the Huellas Mentorship Program at the William S. Boyd School of Law ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Nevada Rules on Electronic Coverage of Court Proceedings](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-092c2dd72fc20b2d8f928b3b) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://nvcourts.gov/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/11729/rules_on_electronic_coverage_of_court_proceedings.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.