Dancer-Turned-Lawyer Receives Distinguished Alumni Award
Laurie Herman (’82) might have chosen the road less traveled after she earned her B.F.A. in dance, but the link between her career as a criminal defense lawyer and the arts is simple.
“A lot of my interest in criminal defense stemmed from the performance aspect,” she admitted. “It’s in a courtroom setting, where you’re in public, performing for a jury, for a judge. It’s not acting per se – it’s trying to present something in its best light.”
Herman, who also earned her J.D. degree from ASU said another similarity between the courtroom and the stage is the ability to succeed in tense environments. “I thrive under pressure,” said Herman of her courtroom prowess. “Dance equipped me well in that way. By knowing you have to exude enthusiastic energy to persuade a judge or jury, you have to be as authentic in a courtroom as you would if you were performing.”
Even though Herman runs a full-time legal practice and serves as a judge in both Tempe and Mesa Municipal Courts, she remains faithful to her first love: dance and the arts.
For three years, she was co-president of the Herberger Alumni Chapter, doubling the size of the alumni board. She’s also a member of the dean’s council and is committed to easing student indebtedness through two endowed fine arts scholarships that she created to honor her loved ones.
At the May 11, 2006, convocation, Herman received the Distinguished Alumna Award. She is an avid donor to the Herberger College Department of Dance, the School of Theatre and Film, as well as to the music therapy program at ASU.
Herman’s generosity is also seen in service to the local community, working with high school mock-trial teams and teaching law classes at Paradise Valley Community College.
“What’s the point of living if you can’t give something back – return the favor – build your karma?” asked Herman. She credits the dance department for being a supportive place during the hardest part of her life when both parents passed away during her undergraduate years. “The emotional support was the difference between finishing college or not,” she said.
The Distinguished Alumni Award is the Herberger College’s top recognition to its alumni. To nominate for the 2007 award, contact Deanna Stulgaitis at 480-965-8985 or deanna.stulgaitis@asu.edu. Self-nominations are welcome.
