Darlene holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, specializing in finance, marketing and general business, from the University of Saskatchewan. She worked in the banking industry as a commercial lender before returning to the U of S to attend law school.

Darlene received her Bachelor of Law (With Distinction) in 1992 and was called to the Saskatchewan bar in 1993, receiving the Academic Excellence Award for the highest standing on the exam that year. Darlene also has training in mediation, facilitation, and collaborative law.

Darlene is an active member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Bar Association. She is currently Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution North of the Canadian Bar Association.

In 2012 Darlene was appointed as an Adjudicator under The Saskatchewan Employment Act in respect of matters involving harassment in the workplace. In addition to her work with clients, Darlene has offered her expertise in mediation and ADR to law students at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law as a presenter and coach.

Darlene worked as a mediator with the provincial Ministry of Justice and Attorney General. In this role, Darlene mediated family and civil files and facilitated both two-party and multi-party disputes. She also participated in the design and delivery of conflict resolution workshops and delivered presentations on family law and other legal topics.

 In January, 2024, Darlene was honoured to receive her King’s Counsel (K.C.) designation.

In November 2021, she was a guest panellist at the CBA Labour & Employment Symposium. 

Darlene sits on the Board of Directors for Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan (PLEA).

Darlene is also a volunteer lawyer with Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan.