Reginald J. Laurent graduated from Louisiana State University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. He worked as a merchant seaman, carpenter, salesman, legislative correspondent and accountant before enrolling in Tulane Law School in 1983. Mr. Laurent earned his Juris Doctorate Degree from Tulane Law School where he worked as a research assistant to Professor A.N. Yiannopoulosk the W.R. Irby Professor of Law and Editor of the Louisiana Civil Code. The position with Yiannopoulos provided Mr. Laurent a unique and specialized knowledge of Louisiana's civilian legal tradition (commonly referred to as the “Napoleonic Civil Code”). He also studied the admiralty/maritime law under Professor Yiannopoulos. 

Mr. Laurent previously worked for the New Orleans City Attorney’s Office as Deputy City Attorney. During his eight years with the City Attorney’s Office, Mr. Laurent was the civil legal advisor to the New Orleans Police Department. Mr. Laurent is an experienced litigator in both federal and state courts and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit and Eleventh Circuits, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit and Eleventh Circuits, the United States District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana. He has participated in trial work in the courts of Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and North Dakota.