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 Gayle Coates (born July 11, 1979) is an American lawyer, TV host, and legal expert. She has worked as a lawyer for big companies and as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. government. A prosecutor is a lawyer who tries to prove in court that someone has broken the law.
Since 2016, she has worked as a legal analyst for the news network CNN. In 2023, she became CNN's chief legal analyst, which is their top expert on legal topics. She also hosts her own news show on CNN called Laura Coates Live.
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Early Life and Schooling
Laura Coates was born on July 11, 1979, in Hartford, Connecticut. She grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, and later moved with her family to Minnesota. She is the youngest of three sisters, and her father was a dentist.
In 1997, she graduated from a private school in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She then went to the famous Princeton University. In 2001, she earned her degree from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. For her final project, she wrote a long paper about voting rights.
After Princeton, she decided to become a lawyer. In 2005, she earned a J.D. degree, which is the degree needed to practice law, from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Career as a Lawyer
Coates started her career as a lawyer at a law firm in Minnesota. Later, she worked for another law firm in New York City.
She then decided to work for the government. She became a federal prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice. She worked in the Civil Rights Division, where she focused on making sure voting laws were followed fairly across the country.
Coates also worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C. In this role, she handled cases involving serious crimes. Currently, she is not an active lawyer, which means she does not represent clients in court.
Career in TV and Radio
Joining CNN
In May 2016, Laura Coates joined CNN as a senior legal analyst. This means she appeared on many CNN shows to explain legal news and court cases to viewers. She also helped with special reports and live town hall events.
Besides TV, she hosts The Laura Coates Show on Sirius XM satellite radio. In 2018, the famous host of the game show Jeopardy!, Alex Trebek, said he thought Coates would be a great person to replace him one day.
Hosting Her Own Shows
In 2022, CNN asked Coates to be a temporary host for its show CNN Tonight. She co-hosted the show with Alisyn Camerota. In 2023, she hosted the 11 p.m. hour of the show by herself for a few months.
On May 5, 2023, CNN promoted her to chief legal analyst. A few months later, in August 2023, the network announced she would get her own show. Her show, Laura Coates Live, began airing at 11 p.m.
Reporting on a Difficult Event
On April 19, 2024, Coates was reporting live for CNN from New York City. While she was on the air, a sudden and tragic event happened right in front of the cameras.
She had to immediately describe what was happening live for over two minutes. Many people praised her for staying calm and professional during a very shocking and difficult situation. However, there was also some debate about whether it was right to show the upsetting event on live television.
Teaching and Speaking
Coates is also a professor. She teaches law at the George Washington University School of Law. She often travels around the country to give speeches. She talks about important topics like civil rights, social justice, and helping communities improve.
Personal Life
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. She is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
