Between the years 1988 to 1990, Torresen worked at the law firm of Williams & Connolly, where she was based in Washington, D.C.

In 1990, Torresen joined the United States Attorney's Office in Maine, where she handled civil actions involving United States federal agencies.

Between 1994 and 2001, Torresen worked for the appellate section of the criminal division of the Maine Attorney General’s Office, where she was responsible for representing the state of Maine in appeals of serious violent crime convictions.

[3][1] Torresen was nominated to fill the seat of Judge D. Brock Hornby by President Barack Obama on March 2, 2011.

[4] Torresen is the first woman to serve as a federal judge in Maine.