Laura Caldwell
Laura Caldwell is a former civil trial attorney, now a professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She is also director of Life After Innocence and a published author of 14 novels and one nonfiction book.
Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a partner in a Chicago law firm, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. In 2001 she joined Loyola University Chicago School of Law and has taught Advanced Litigation Writing and International Criminal Law, among others.
Laura began her writing career in women's fiction and soon turned to mystery/thriller. Her first book, Burning the Map, was voted as one of the best books the year by Barnes and Noble.com. Booklist declared "Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive ... writers around" after the release of The Year of Living Famously and The Night I Got Lucky. The release of her trilogy in 2009 received critical acclaim and nominations for prestigious industry awards.
While researching her sixth novel, The Rome Affair, Laura was led to the criminal case of a young man charged with murder, sitting in a Cook County holding cell for nearly six years with no trial date. After hearing about his case, she joined a renowned criminal defense attorney to defend him, ultimately proving his innocence and inspiring her first nonfiction book, Long Way Home: A Young Man Lost in the System and the Two Women Who Found Him (Free Press, Simon & Schuster).
She is published in over 25 countries and translated into more than 13 languages. Laura is also a freelance magazine writer and has been published in Chicago Magazine, Woman's Own, The Young Lawyer, Lake Magazine, Australia Woman's Weekly, Shore Magazine and others.
Laura founded Loyola's Life After Innocence, which assists wrongfully convicted individuals or other innocent persons affected by the criminal justice system in order to help them re-enter society and reclaim their lives.
Laura Caldwell is a former civil trial attorney, now a professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She is also director of Life After Innocence and a published author of 14 novels and one nonfiction book.
Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a partner in a Chicago law firm, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. In 2001 she joined Loyola University Chicago School of Law and has taught Advanced Litigation Writing and International Criminal Law, among others.
Laura began her writing career in women's fiction and soon turned to mystery/thriller. Her first book, Burning the Map, was voted as one of the best books the year by Barnes and Noble.com. Booklist declared "Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive ... writers around" after the release of The Year of Living Famously and The Night I Got Lucky. The release of her trilogy in 2009 received critical acclaim and nominations for prestigious industry awards.
While researching her sixth novel, The Rome Affair, Laura was led to the criminal case of a young man charged with murder, sitting in a Cook County holding cell for nearly six years with no trial date. After hearing about his case, she joined a renowned criminal defense attorney to defend him, ultimately proving his innocence and inspiring her first nonfiction book, Long Way Home: A Young Man Lost in the System and the Two Women Who Found Him (Free Press, Simon & Schuster).
She is published in over 25 countries and translated into more than 13 languages. Laura is also a freelance magazine writer and has been published in Chicago Magazine, Woman's Own, The Young Lawyer, Lake Magazine, Australia Woman's Weekly, Shore Magazine and others.
Laura founded Loyola's Life After Innocence, which assists wrongfully convicted individuals or other innocent persons affected by the criminal justice system in order to help them re-enter society and reclaim their lives.
Small Choices Lead to Big Changes
Laura shares how small steps led her throughout her career as a attorney turned author, professor, and humanitarian. She also encourages audiences members to set a goal and stick with it one small step at a time. She will also detail how on small decision led her to joining a criminal defense team that ultimately proved the innocence of a young man who had been in Cook County holding cell for 6 years without a trial.
Fiction Mirroring Truth, Truth Mirroring Fiction
Laura will discuss her Izzy McNeil novels as an example of blending fiction with real life and will also discuss audience member writing projects to help them create page-turning excitement.
