Judge Laura E. Ward: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. Laura E. Ward is a judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida in Hillsborough County. She was elected to the bench in 2014 and re-elected in 2020.

Ward earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Davidson College in 2001. She then completed a J.D. at the University of Michigan Law School in 2004. She is admitted to practice in Florida (2004), the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (2004), and the United States District Court for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida (2004).

After graduating from law school, Ward began her legal career as a law clerk to the Hon. Charles Wilson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. She then entered into private practice, handling complex commercial litigation matters at DLA Piper. Ward supplemented her private practice with service as the Director of the Veterans’ Legal Services Clinic at the James A. Haley VA Hospital.

Her memberships have included the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers, and the Bay Area Legal Services Pearl Society. She has also been involved with the Hyde Park United Methodist Church, the Ybor City Museum Society, and the Historic Hyde Park Neighborhood Association.

She is a recipient of the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award from the Hillsborough County Bar Association (2013) and the Pro Bono Service Award from the Florida Bar (2014).