Gabby Thomas, Beverly Johnson, Laura Coates & Karine Jean-Pierre Inducted Into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. As Honorary Members - Page 2

Laura Coates

Laura Coates, CNN’s Chief Legal Analyst and Anchor, is the first and only Black woman to hold the title. Before joining CNN, Coates served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, focusing on voting rights enforcement, and later as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, where she prosecuted serious felony cases including drug trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault, according to her website.  

In 2016, she authored the bestselling book You Have the Right: A Constitutional Guide to Policing the Police, demystifying citizens’ Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights, and advocating for greater police accountability.

Now the host of Laura Coates Live on CNN, she continues to bring clarity to pressing legal and political issues. Notably, Coates delivered extensive coverage of last year’s presidential race, hitting the ground in places like Michigan to talk with voters and hear their reactions. She has also had a pulse on the intense sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, delivering updates along every step of the case, a testament to her commitment.