Laura Baird | |
---|---|
Member of the
Michigan House of Representatives from the 70th district | |
In office 1 January 1995 – 31 December 2000 | |
Preceded by | H. Lynn Jondahl |
Succeeded by | Gretchen Whitmer |
Personal details | |
Born | Michigan | 1 October 1952
Nationality | American |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | George Zulakis |
Children | 3 |
Parents |
|
Alma mater |
Western Michigan University (
B.A.) Thomas Cooley Law School ( J.D.) |
Occupation | politician |
Profession | lawyer, judge |
Laura L. Baird (born 1 October 1952) is an American politician and judge. She was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1995 to 2000, when she was elected a judge of the Michigan Circuit Court.
Baird was born on 1 October 1952 in northern Michigan, [1] [2] to parents Boyd C. Baird and Nancy L. Tingley. [3] Her father and grandfather both served as probate judges. [1] [4] Baird attended Western Michigan University, graduating in 1975, then earned her J.D. degree from Thomas Cooley Law School in 1979. [1] [5] She was placed on the court-appointed list for legal cases regarding abuse and neglect shortly after graduating from law school. [4] Baird worked at a private legal practice, Baird & Zulakis, from 1980 to 2000, [5] with her husband George Zulakis. [6]
Laura Baird and George Zulakis had three children, Michael, Nicholas, and Zoe. [1] [2] Nicholas died in 2001. [7] Zoe enrolled at the University of Minnesota Law School in 2018. [8] Laura Baird's father Boyd C. Baird died in 2008. [3]
Baird later moved to Okemos, Michigan, [1] and was Ingham County commissioner from 1992 to 1994, representing the 11th district. [5] She ran for the 70th district seat on the Michigan House of Representatives in 1994, as a Democratic Party candidate, and won. [1] Baird was elected to another term in 1996, and remained in office from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2000. [9] Baird was elected a judge of the Michigan Circuit Court in 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018. [5] In 2013, Baird was elected vice president of the Michigan Judges Association, [10] and became president of the MJA in December 2015. [11]