About Laurie Eiserloh

Laurie Eiserloh is the Judge of the 455th Civil District Court, a former trial attorney of nearly thirty years, and a lifelong Democrat. Previously, Laurie led the Employment Team in the Civil Litigation Division of the Travis County Attorney’s Office. She has served as a litigator and general counsel for the City of Austin, the State of Texas, and in the private sector at the local law firm Bickerstaff, Heath, Smiley, Pollan, Kever, and McDaniel. She is board-certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Labor & Employment Law and Personal Injury Trial Law. She is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an organization of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to professionalism and civility in the courtroom and the integrity of the jury trial. 

Early in her career, Laurie was the Executive Director of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas (now Equality Texas), where she lobbied the Texas Legislature for the rights of LGBTQ Texans, worked tirelessly to maintain and restore state funding during the AIDS crisis, and fought to protect the rights of people living with AIDS. 

Laurie is very active in the Austin community. For over a decade, she served on the board of El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission, which provides clinic services, food bank, ESL, and other critical assistance to the working poor. Laurie also supports the  Trinity Center, which assists people experiencing homelessness. She has also served on the boards of the Austin Center for Child Guidance and AIDS Services of Austin. 

Laurie grew up in San Antonio, the daughter of a widowed schoolteacher who was a career-long member of her union. (Laurie herself is a longtime member of AFSCME). Laurie moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1986 and Juris Doctor in 1990. Laurie and her wife Jess live in central Austin, where they enjoy vegetable gardening and making music.

It’s from personal experience that Laurie knows the profound impact the judiciary can have on people’s lives and the importance of empathy, compassion, and fairness from the bench.​ In the late 90’s, before the law had recognized equal protection for LGBTQ families, the fate of Laurie’s family depended entirely on the Judge presiding on the bench. Laurie’s partner Jess had just given birth, and Laurie approached the court to begin the process of adopting their newborn son. After Laurie and Jess were subjected to criminal background checks and home visits by social workers, the Judge signed the order, and Laurie was finally able to adopt her son and secure their rights as a family.