Laurel was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida (having attended LCC Day School and Shorecrest) and is happy to still call it home today! Laurel is also a proud Double Gator. She graduated with cum laude honors from from the University of Florida  for both her Bachelor’s Degree and Juris Doctor. While in law school, Laurel had invaluable clerkships at the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Tampa, as a Certified Legal Intern at the 8th Judicial Circuit Public Defender’s Office in Gainesville, at the United States Department of Justice Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section in Washington, D.C., and at the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS). These experiences shaped her view of the justice system and the fields of law she wanted to pursue. After law school, Laurel worked as an Assistant Public Defender in the 13th Judicial Circuit of Florida, where she fought to protect the rights of the indigent community in Tampa Bay. She represented hundreds of defendants,  both adults and juveniles, on charges ranging from misdemeanors, traffic offenses, felonies, and death-penalty-eligible offenses. Laurel handled cases from arrest to resolution including numerous jury and non-jury trials. Not only did this shape her advocacy skills, but it sparked her commitment to use her legal skills to help vulnerable people stand up for themselves against or before powerful government systems.