| Laura Baird | |
| State House: | Michigan |
| Term Start: | 1 January 1995 |
| Term End: | 31 December 2000 |
| Birth Date: | 1 October 1952 |
| Nationality: | American |
| Spouse: | George Zulakis |
| Children: | 3 |
| Father: | Boyd C. Baird |
| Mother: | Nancy L. Tingley |
| Alma Mater: | Western Michigan University (B.A.) Thomas Cooley Law School (J.D.) |
| Occupation: | politician |
| Profession: | lawyer, judge |
| Mawards: | is not set --> |
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] to parents Boyd C. Baird and Nancy L. Tingley.[2] Her father and grandfather both served as probate judges. Baird attended Western Michigan University, graduating in 1975, then earned her J.D. degree from Thomas Cooley Law School in 1979.[3] 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,[3] with her husband George Zulakis.[5]
Laura Baird and George Zulakis had three children, Michael, Nicholas, and Zoe.[1] Nicholas died in 2001.[6] Zoe enrolled at the University of Minnesota Law School in 2018.[7] Laura Baird's father Boyd C. Baird died in 2008.[2]
Baird later moved to Okemos, Michigan, and was Ingham County commissioner from 1992 to 1994, representing the 11th district.[3] She ran for the 70th district seat on the Michigan House of Representatives in 1994, as a Democratic Party candidate, and won.[8] 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.[3] In 2013, Baird was elected vice president of the Michigan Judges Association,[10] and became president of the MJA in December 2015.[11]