Laurie Besden is the Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc. (LCL PA). She served as its Deputy Executive Director, overseeing its Helpline operations, serving as primary contact for intervention requests, expanding its law school outreach, and increasing LCL PA’s presence within the organized bench and bar, from 2011-2015. After becoming LCL PA’s Executive Director in 2015, Laurie continued to serve in most of these capacities and assumed responsibility for the organization’s administrative and financial operations, as well as its judges’ assistance program (Judges Concerned for Judges).

Laurie is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania (1999) and New Jersey (1999). She practiced law from 1999 through 2001 and from 2009-2011 in several capacities including:

• Attorney-at-law (general civil and criminal practice), East Norriton, PA
• Law Clerk (Pennsylvania Superior Court), Philadelphia, PA
• Law Clerk (Philadelphia Municipal Court), Philadelphia, PA

She received her B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD (1995) and her J.D. from The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University (1999).

Laurie was the 2015 recipient of the Montgomery Bar Association’s Henry Stuckert Miller Award for her dedication to public service in the legal profession and the 2019 recipient of Caron’s Legal Professional/Uniformed Public Service Award for the Greater Philadelphia Region. Laurie has presented for the JAG CORPS (Germany & Europe), Harvard Law School, American University, Washington School of Law, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, Duane Morris LLP, Lawyer Assistance Programs (New Jersey, New Hampshire, Virginia, West Virginia, Texas, Missouri, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island), Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and in many other legal arenas.

Laurie has been a guest on several podcasts, including the American Bar Association’s ‘Voices of Recovery,’ ‘BE CONVINCED: Sharing Stories of Hope,’ Lawline’s ‘Leading with Redemption’ and ‘The Clip-Out.’ Laurie’s story was filmed by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute “Don’t Give Up Five Minutes Before the Miracle” and by the American Bar Association (in conjunction with the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law) titled ‘The Besden Redemption.’ Laurie’s story has appeared in print in the New York Times, MSNBC, American Bar Association, The Philadelphia Lawyer, The Pennsylvania Lawyer Magazine, and law.com.

Laurie has served as a volunteer in the animal rescue world since 2013 (Harrisburg Area Humane Society 2013-2020 & Canine Rescue of Central Pennsylvania 2020 – present).

Laurie also serves as a volunteer firefighter with Hampden Township Volunteer Fire Company since 2023.