[3] Prior to ascending to the bench, Barker spent twenty-nine years representing individuals, small businesses, and corporations, with a particular emphasis on insurance litigation.

[3] She was appointed to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas by Governor John Kasich and assumed office on September 19, 2011.

On September 29, 2017, Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman recommended Barker for a federal judgeship.

She was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Donald C. Nugent, who assumed senior status on January 1, 2017.

On January 23, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to renominate Barker for a federal judgeship.