Laurie L. O'Neal received her J.D. from the University of Iowa, where she graduated with high distinction in 1991, having received the moot court Best Brief Award and having served as a writer on the moot court board. She obtained her B.A. from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, in English and secondary education.

Prior to attending law school, Ms. O’Neal taught English at the secondary level and business writing at the college level. Following law school, Ms. O’Neal practiced law in Denver, Colorado, with an insurance defense litigation firm, then worked in the legal publishing industry as a writer and editor with Shepard’s in Colorado Springs, as author of several Texas business law practice manuals published by West, and as editor of several business and employment law textbooks published by Irwin. She returned to teaching at Metropolitan State College in Denver, teaching Business Law I and II and Evidence.

Ms. O’Neal joined the law school faculty in 2000. She teaches first-year Legal Research and Writing, Advanced Writing, and Legal Drafting. Additionally, she has taught Evidence for summer school sessions at the college and twice taught a judicial clerkship seminar. She also serves as adviser to the student-run McNichols Intramural Moot Court Competition and coaches a national moot court competition team.

Ms. O’Neal has served as the upper-level writing committee chair for the Legal Writing Institute and has given presentations on teaching techniques at several Legal Writing Institute conferences. She is a member of the Colorado Bar.

Ms. O’Neal received the University of Idaho Alumni Award for Faculty Excellence in 2003 and 2005.