Laura Douglas, a Louisville native, became the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Louisville School of Law.
During the 1930s and 1940s, Laura’s parents moved to Louisville as part of the great migration of African Americans from the South. Growing up in the Russell neighborhood, Laura’s parents instilled in her and her siblings the importance of learning. Although her parents had only received an education level up to the third grade, they pushed her and her siblings to pursue higher education from a young age. Some of Laura’s siblings attended Ivy League schools and received scholarships; remarkably, Laura and her siblings possess at least two degrees each.
Growing up, Laura and her siblings were unaware they lived on the margin in their Russell neighborhood. They only realized their family’s economic struggles when they went to college and read about families like theirs in sociology class.
Laura graduated from the University of Louisville in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Political Science. In 1974, she became the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Louisville School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctor.
After graduation, Laura worked for Standard Oil Company as an in-house counsel, for the University of Iowa as a contract specialist and director of affirmative action, and for Ohio University as an instructor. In 1985, Douglas returned to Louisville and became Managing Attorney and Director of Community Development at the Legal Aid Society. She later advanced to the role of Associate Director and Urban Managing Attorney. Laura held the position of Legal Counsel at the Metropolitan Sewer District and later served as Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for the Louisville Water Company. Additionally, she was the Secretary for the Public Protection and Regulation Cabinet. She then was the Director of Communications for E. ON U.S.. In 2017, she retired as Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Community Affairs for LG&E and KU Energy.
In 2022, after she retired, she became Interim Co-Executive Director for the Transit Authority of River City (TARC). From 2021-2022, she became Interim President and CEO of The Muhammad Ali Center. Currently, Laura is the Interim President and CEO of West End Opportunity Partnership.
Throughout her professional career, Laura has also served on the Boards of numerous organizations, including Leadership Louisville, Louisville Bar Association, University of Louisville Foundation, Actors Theatre, Louisville Ballet, Muhammad Ali Center, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Branch, Republic Bank, Women for Women, and Metro United Way. She has also served as a member of the Louisville Tourism Commission. She serves as a voluntary hearing officer for the Kentucky Bar Association, where she hears and decides disciplinary cases brought against Kentucky lawyers. She serves as a member of the City’s Ethics Commission.
