About
Laura M. Furniss
Certified Family Law Specialist. Experienced trial attorney.
- 2013Practicing family law since
- 2016Founded Furniss Family Law Group
- 2018Certified Family Law Specialist since
- 1,000+Hours of trial experience
Laura M. Furniss is the founder and principal of Furniss Family Law Group, Inc. in Redwood City. She has practiced family law since 2013, founded the firm in 2016, and has been a Certified Family Law Specialist since 2018, certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.
Before focusing her practice on family law, Laura served as a volunteer Assistant District Attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office Misdemeanor Unit and as a volunteer Deputy District Attorney with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. That work gave her a foundation in jury trials and courtroom advocacy that she has built on throughout her family law career, which now includes more than 1,000 hours of trial experience.
Her background in criminal litigation informs her approach to complex family law matters, particularly those involving contested testimony, domestic violence allegations, credibility determinations, and difficult evidentiary issues.
Laura moved from criminal law to family law to work more closely with her clients. She values the holistic side of family law, where the work touches every part of a client’s life, and she brings to it the same dedication and tenacity she brought to prosecuting felonies and misdemeanors.
She believes the most effective representation begins with understanding each client’s goals and developing a thoughtful strategy to achieve them.
Education
Laura earned her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of San Francisco. During law school, she served on the Public Interest Law Foundation and co-founded the USF chapter of Phi Delta Phi, an international legal honor society.
She received her undergraduate degree with a major in Politics and a minor in Legal Studies and was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, and the USF Pre-Law Society. As a law student, she interned with a Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice in San Francisco, assisting with discovery and motion work in a decades-old murder prosecution, and as a certified law student, she argued an appeal on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office and won. Laura was also a member of the University of San Francisco Inn of Court.
Certified Family Law Specialist, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.
Community Involvement & Service
A commitment to service beyond the courtroom.
Giving back to the community and contributing to the administration of justice are fundamental principles of Laura’s legal practice.
Laura regularly volunteers her time with the court as a settlement conference officer, helping parties resolve disputes and supporting the efficient administration of justice. This work reflects her belief that thoughtful negotiation and meaningful resolution can often serve families better than prolonged litigation.
Through Legal Aid of San Mateo County, Laura also provides pro bono representation to survivors of domestic violence, helping individuals and families obtain legal protection during particularly vulnerable periods of their lives.
Her commitment to service extends to the next generation of legal professionals. Laura volunteers as a judge and scorer for Mock Trial competitions, supporting high school students as they develop advocacy, critical thinking, and courtroom presentation skills.
Laura believes that the practice of law carries a responsibility not only to individual clients, but also to the broader community, the legal profession, and the equitable administration of justice.
Your future deserves a clear strategy.
Contact Furniss Family Law Group today to schedule a consultation and find out whether we are the right fit for you.