Ms Pagani is a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland and High Court of Australia. She has a Bachelor of Laws Degree, Queensland University of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours, James Cook University of North Queensland. She is also a certified mediator with the Australian Commercial Disputes Centre (Qld) Limited and a certified arbitrator with Australian Institute of Family Law Mediators and Arbitrators (Family Law Council of Australia) Dispute Resolution Certificate (Arbitration). Ms Pagani is on the panel of mediators of the Supreme Court and the Legal Aid Commission Queensland.

Since 1991 Ms Pagani has been a Practising Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland and High Court of Australia. Her practice has included criminal, juvenile justice, civil, family law, human rights and equal opportunity law, and administrative law. Currently, her practice comprises predominantly family law and related areas, in both the federal and state jurisdictions, and to a lesser extent industrial and aviation matters (civil and military). She is a serving member (holding the rank of Squadron Leader) of the RAAF Specialist Reserve Legal Corps.

Ms Pagani has served as President of the Townsville Regional Community Corrections (parole) Board and as an Official (Legal) Visitor of the Queensland Corrective Services Commission, Townsville Correctional Centre. She has also served as a director of the Townsville Port Authority, and on the boards of local and national companies.

She has lectured in Law and other subjects at the James Cook University of North Queensland.

She has been a member of the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal of Queensland since 1997.