Barbara was born and raised in Chicago. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Advertising from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. After undergrad, she spent several years in marketing research. Then, Barbara attended UIC John Marshall Law School. After graduating, she spent the majority of her legal career at the City of Chicago, Department of Law. Barbara received the Jury Verdict Award in 2023 for Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Street Hazard Case.