Professor Barbazan received her B.A. in Sociology from Montclair State College and her J.D. from New York University. After graduating from law school in 1983, Professor Barbazan practiced law with Porzio, Bromberg & Newman in Morristown, focusing on insurance policy interpretation, medical malpractice, and drug product liability. In 1986, she left private practice to teach at Rutgers Law School, Newark, in the Urban Legal Clinic. During her time with the Clinic, she focused on parental rights termination cases. From 1989 to 1994, Professor Barbazan returned to private practice and worked at Budd, Larner, Gross, Rosenbaum, Greenberg & Sade in Short Hills, focusing on insurance policy interpretation.

She joined Seton Hall Law in 1994, initially teaching Legal Research & Writing and then also working as a Writing Specialist. In 1997, she became Co-Director of Appellate Advocacy and in 2002 became the Director of Appellate Advocacy. As Director, she administers the second-year required writing course, Appellate Advocacy, and also administers the Gressman Competition, a moot appellate competition for Seton Hall Law students.