Laura Coates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laura Coates
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Coates in 2024
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| Born |
Laura Gayle Coates
July 11, 1979 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Education | Princeton University (BA) University of Minnesota (JD) |
| Occupation | Attorney, news anchor, legal analyst, radio host, educator |
| Known for | CNN analyst |
| Spouse(s) |
Dale Gordon
(m. 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
Laura Coates, born on July 11, 1979, is an American lawyer and TV host. She helps people understand legal topics on TV. Before her TV career, she worked as a lawyer for different firms. She also worked as a federal prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice. This means she worked for the government, helping to make sure laws were followed. Since 2016, she has been a legal expert on CNN. In 2023, she became their main legal expert. She also hosts her own TV show called Laura Coates Live every night.
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Early Life and Education
Laura Coates was born on July 11, 1979, in Hartford, Connecticut. She grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, and later in Minnesota. She is the youngest of three sisters. Her father was a dentist.
In 1997, she finished high school at the St. Paul Academy and Summit School in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She then went to Princeton University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in 2001. Her senior paper was about voting rights. In 2005, she earned her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Legal Career
Coates started her career as a lawyer in Minnesota. She worked for a law firm called Faegre & Benson. Later, she moved to New York and worked for another law firm, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman.
After working for private firms, she joined the United States Department of Justice. There, she was a federal prosecutor. She worked in the Civil Rights Division during the Bush and Obama administrations. Her job was to make sure everyone had fair voting rights across the country. She also worked as a prosecutor in Washington, D.C. There, she handled serious crimes like armed robberies and domestic violence. She is not currently working as a lawyer.
Television and Radio Work
In May 2016, Laura Coates joined CNN as a senior legal expert. She appears on many CNN shows to share her legal opinions. She also helps with special events and town hall meetings on the network. Coates also hosts The Laura Coates Show on Sirius XM radio.
In 2022, CNN announced that Coates would be a temporary host for CNN Tonight. She co-hosted the 10 p.m. to midnight block with Alisyn Camerota. In January 2023, she hosted the 11 p.m. hour of CNN Tonight by herself.
On May 5, 2023, CNN announced that Coates was promoted to chief legal expert. This means she is the main legal analyst for the network. On August 14, 2023, CNN announced that Coates would host a new show at 11 p.m. called Laura Coates Live.
Teaching and Public Speaking
Laura Coates is a law professor at George Washington University School of Law. She also travels around the country to speak about important topics. These topics include civil rights, social justice, and helping people improve their financial situations.
Personal Life
Laura Coates married Dale Gordon in 2010. They live in Washington, D.C. and have two children. Coates is a big fan of hip-hop music.
