Laura Nirider is an attorney, law professor, and co-director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She is one of the globe’s leading legal experts on wrongful convictions, false confessions, and the criminal justice system. Laura’s clients include Brendan Dassey, whose story was featured in the Emmy-winning Netflix series Making a Murderer, and Damien Echols' of the West Memphis Three, whose story was featured in the HBO docuseries Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and in the Peter Jackson-produced documentary West of Memphis. Inspired by her clients' cases, Laura writes and co-hosts the hit podcast Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions, which debuted at #1 on the Apple U.S. true crime charts and won a Webby People's Voice Award in 2021. Ten years ago, Laura co-founded the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth – the first organization to focus on wrongly convicted children. It has since become part of the larger Center on Wrongful Convictions.

In addition to her courtroom work, Laura regularly consults with elected officials regarding criminal justice reform at both the federal and state levels. Her publications include both scholarly and popular articles, many of which were written in collaboration with leading legal and psychological authorities; and her briefs have been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court to establish the proposition that children are particularly vulnerable during interrogation. She regularly trains judges, prosecutors, police, and defense attorneys around the country about the problem of wrongful convictions.

Noted both for her passion and relatability, Laura is also a well-recognized public voice regarding the criminal justice system. In addition to her popular podcast, Laura has appeared on a variety of film and television programs, including Making a Murderer, West of Memphis, ABC 20/20, Dateline NBC, CBS This Morning, and Good Morning America. She has also served as a commentator on CNN and National Public Radio and has been quoted or featured in publications including the New York Times, the New Yorker, Forbes, Rolling Stone, and Vogue. In 2020, Laura created a video series on wrongful convictions with NowThis News that has been viewed more than 7 million times.

Laura speaks globally, drawing sell-out popular audiences in venues ranging from Chicago to London to Sydney. She also regularly speaks at universities, corporations, and legal organizations around the globe on subjects ranging from the criminal justice system to the resilience that’s required to fight nearly unwinnable legal battles.

Laura maintains a strong and engaged social media following on both Twitter and Instagram at @lauranirider.