about
Meet Laura.
Laura Coates is a CNN Anchor and Chief Legal Analyst, SiriusXM Talk Show Host, and author who defines success on her own terms.
A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Laura graduated from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the University of Minnesota Law School before beginning her legal career in private practice.
She practiced law in Minnesota and New York, handling cases ranging from intellectual property litigation and First Amendment issues to Defamation and Media law. Called to public service, she transitioned from private practice to the United States Department of Justice, thriving as a federal prosecutor. She served as a Trial Attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice during the Bush and Obama administrations, specializing in the enforcement of voting rights throughout the country. She also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, prosecuting a myriad of violent felony offenses, including drug trafficking, armed offenses, domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault.
Laura’s depth of diverse experience and broad expertise has earned her acclaim across all media platforms.
Easily branded a constitutional expert, her diversified expertise is both timely and topical. She is lauded across the globe for her persuasive objectivity and ability to break down complex and emotionally charged topics plainly and without partisanship.
Recognizing the dire need for increased police accountability and improved police-community relations, she wrote the bestselling 2016 book, You Have the Right: A Constitutional Guide to Policing the Police. In the book, Laura removes the legalese and helps ordinary citizens know and understand their 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendment rights.
Since 2017, she has hosted the daily eponymous talk show, “The Laura Coates Show,” on SiriusXM, now airing weekdays 7-9 AM ET on the P.O.T.U.S. channel. On her interactive show, Laura “edutains” an engaged audience with a lively discussion on the intersections of politics, law, and pop culture in a way that highlights her intelligence, humor, charisma, and … antics.
Laura was formerly an adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Law and routinely speaks across the country on civil rights, social justice, economic empowerment, and leaps of faith.
Laura currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children.
