About Laura Sherling
Laura Sherling Dunning earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2005 after completing undergraduate studies at Rhodes College in 2002. She entered law school at a time when the legal landscape was changing rapidly, and she completed her degree as the profession adjusted to new technologies and client expectations. Her education provided a foundation in core legal skills and introduced her to both advocacy and counseling as professional disciplines.
Her time at the University of Alabama School of Law coincided with intense classroom study and practical training. Course work in civil procedure, evidence and legal writing formed the backbone of her legal education. Clinics, moot court or externship programs are common paths for students of her era, and those experiences typically inform how lawyers approach client matters after graduation.
After earning her J.D., she began a legal career that has spanned practice settings and types of matters. Over the years she has worked on matters that required both careful research and attention to procedural detail. Her professional path reflects the varied work many attorneys undertake in the first years after law school: drafting pleadings and briefs, conducting factual investigation, and advising clients on choices they face in disputes and transactions.
Her practice draws on fundamental legal skills. She has handled case preparation, negotiated settlements and participated in hearings. Those activities require clear written work and direct oral presentation, both of which are routine parts of a practicing lawyer’s day. Clients and colleagues often expect an attorney to manage timelines, meet filing deadlines and present legal arguments persuasively; these are among the practical demands she meets in her work.
Outside of direct representation, she has engaged in the professional habits that sustain a legal career: continuing legal education, staying current on statutory and case law developments, and maintaining professional relationships with peers in the bar and bench. These elements support the day-to-day practice responsibilities that define most attorneys’ work lives.
As of 2026 she remains an active member of the bar and continues to practice law. Her current practice centers on advising clients on a range of legal matters, including counseling, dispute resolution and transactional work.
