Laurel Marois Ackerman was born and raised in St. Pete, where she attended LCC Day School and graduated from Shorecrest Preparatory School. She is happy to still call St. Pete home today! Laurel graduated from the University of Florida with her Bachelor’s degree cum laude in 2015, and from UF’s Levin College of Law with her Juris Doctor cum laude in 2018, making her a PROUD Double Gator. 

In law school, she clerked at the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Tampa, served as a Certified Legal Intern at the 8th Judicial Circuit Public Defender’s Office in Gainesville, and worked at the United States Department of Justice Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section in Washington, D.C. She also completed a clerkship at he Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), where she gained early experience with administrative law and Social Security adjudication processes. Her experience in social security disability was also heavily shaped by her parents and working for their company growing up, who are accredited Disability Representatives and EDPNAs with decades of experience representing disabled claimants through their company Anderson Marois & Associates. 

After law school, Laurel served as an Assistant Public Defender at the 13th Circuit’s Public Defender’s Office in Tampa for three years in the intake, juvenile, misdemeanor, and felony divisions where she represented hundreds of claimants and tried numerous cases to verdict. This courtroom experience shaped her advocacy style that she uses in her practice everyday. 

Today, Laurel focuses her practice on Social Security Disability Law, representing clients in federal court appeals nationwide and in administrative claims and hearings. She is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida as well as in New Mexico, Western District of Texas, Western District of Tennessee, Western District of Wisconsin, Southern District of Indiana, and has filed in several more pro hac vice. Laurel has handled Social Security cases nationwide and secured favorable outcomes for individuals seeking the benefits they deserve.

Laurel and her husband, Chris, have a young son and two dogs. They are avid sports fans and love cheering for their Tampa Bay teams, the Florida Gators, and Ole Miss, Chris’ alma mater. Laurel also enjoys volunteering for the Pinellas County History Day competition, volunteering as a Poll Watcher and Legal Observer for early voting and election day in every election cycle, serving as an advisor for her collegiate sorority, Sigma Kappa, and serving in various positions in the Junior League of St. Petersburg. She serves on the Church Council for Lutheran Church of the Cross in St. Petersburg.