{{short description|American lawyer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Laura Duffy.png | name = Laura E. Duffy | image_size = 180px | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1962}} | birth_place = Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. | spouse = Keri Davis | education = Iowa State University (BS)<br>Creighton University School of Law (JD) | title = U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California | term_start = May 2010 | term_end = January 6, 2017 | appointer = Barack Obama | preceded = Karen Hewitt | successor = Robert S. Brewer Jr. | party = Democratic<ref>{{cite news|author=Kelly Thornton|url=http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/public_safety/article_010b76ac-88bc-11df-b86e-001cc4c002e0.html|work=Voice of San Diego|title=The Likely Pick for SD's New U.S. Attorney: Laura Duffy|date=December 22, 2009|access-date=July 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115155255/http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/public_safety/article_010b76ac-88bc-11df-b86e-001cc4c002e0.html|archive-date=January 15, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> }} '''Laura Elizabeth Duffy''' (born 1962) is an American lawyer and judge who serves on the San Diego County Superior Court and served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California from 2010 to 2017.

== Early life and education == Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Duffy attended Northwest Missouri State University and the University of Iowa before graduating from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. She earned her Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska.<ref name=jud>{{cite web|url=http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/111thCongressExecutiveNominations/USAttorneys/upload/USA-Duffy.pdf|title=Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire: Laura E. Duffy|access-date=2010-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402181405/http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/111thCongressExecutiveNominations/USAttorneys/upload/USA-Duffy.pdf|archive-date=2016-04-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a law student at Creighton, she worked as a law clerk in the Douglas County, Nebraska Public Defender's Office.<ref name=jud />

== Professional career == Duffy joined the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice as a trial attorney in 1993, working first for the Money Laundering Section and then for the Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Section. In 1997, she moved to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, with the rank of Assistant United States Attorney. There, she served in the Narcotics Enforcement Section until being promoted in 2007 to the position of Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Section.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-nominates-four-us-attorneys|work=whitehouse.gov|title=President Obama Nominates Four U.S. Attorneys|via=National Archives|date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> She is best known for her prosecution of members of the Arellano-Felix drug cartel.<ref name=VOSD>{{cite news|author=Kelly Thornton|url=http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/this_just_in/article_1e5f8274-6a8b-11df-bc4c-001cc4c002e0.html|work=Voice of San Diego|title=Senate Confirms Duffy as San Diego's U.S. Attorney|date=May 30, 2010|access-date=May 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703112500/http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/this_just_in/article_1e5f8274-6a8b-11df-bc4c-001cc4c002e0.html|archive-date=July 3, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On February 24, 2010, Duffy was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, which covers San Diego and Imperial counties. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved her nomination unanimously on May 27, 2010;<ref>{{cite news|author=Greg Moran|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/minute-orders-courts/2010/may/27/senate-judiciary-committee-approves-duffy-nominati/|title=Senate Judiciary Committee approves Duffy nomination|work=San Diego Union-Tribune, Minute Orders Blog|date=May 27, 2010}}</ref> she gained unanimous approval from the full Senate the following day.<ref name=VOSD />

In October 2011, she joined with the three other U.S. Attorneys from California to announce a controversial crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries, which are permitted under California state law but not under federal law.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2011-oct-07-la-me-obama-medical-marijuana-20111008-story.html|title=Federal crackdown on medical pot sales reflects a shift in policy|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 7, 2011|author=John Hoeffel}}</ref>

In December 2016, she was appointed to San Diego County Superior Court by then-Governor Jerry Brown.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trellis.law/judge/laura.e.duffy|title=Judge Laura e. Duffy for San Diego County Superior Court in California}}</ref>

== Personal == Duffy is a lesbian;<ref>{{cite news|author=Carlos Santoscoy|url=http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5797&MediaType=1&Category=26|title=Senate Approves Openly Gay Attorney Nominee Laura Duffy|work=On Top Magazine|date=May 30, 2010}}</ref> she is married to Keri Davis, with whom she has one child.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kelly Thornton|url=http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/public_safety/article_010b76ac-88bc-11df-b86e-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Meet the New U.S. Attorney|work=Voice of San Diego|date=July 5, 2010|access-date=July 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115155255/http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/public_safety/article_010b76ac-88bc-11df-b86e-001cc4c002e0.html|archive-date=January 15, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the time of her appointment she was one of four openly LGBT U.S. Attorneys, alongside Jenny Durkan of the Western District of Washington, Anne Tompkins of the Western District of North Carolina, and Robert L. Pitman of the Western District of Texas.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kyung M. Song |title=Coming out helps lessen others' fears, says U.S. Attorney Durkan |work=Seattle Times |date=June 21, 2010 |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012175123_durkan22m.html |access-date=June 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626003647/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012175123_durkan22m.html |archive-date=June 26, 2010 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffy, Laura}} Category:1962 births Category:Creighton University School of Law alumni Category:Iowa State University alumni Category:LGBTQ appointed officials in the United States Category:American LGBTQ lawyers Category:LGBTQ people from Iowa Category:Living people Category:Northwest Missouri State University alumni Category:United States attorneys for the Southern District of California Category:University of Iowa alumni Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American women lawyers Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:20th-century American women lawyers