Laurie S. Fulton

Laurie S. Fulton was U.S. Ambassador to Denmark from July 2009 through February 2013. As Ambassador, she managed U.S. relations with Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands in areas related to national security, counter-terrorism, arctic policy, piracy, and international law enforcement, among others. She co-founded Green Partners for Growth, a bi-lateral, public-private initiative to develop business opportunities for U.S. and Danish companies in sustainable energy and green technologies. Ambassador Fulton organized and co-hosted the 2010 Conference on the Role of Women in Global Security for the U.S. and Nordic-Baltic countries, identifying best practices to assist women in becoming productive participants in business and government in countries emerging from con flit, specifically Afghanistan, Liberia and Uganda. She was recognized for leadership and advocacy for inclusion, diversity and tolerance, and was honored to receive a Dialog Prize. Ambassador Fulton was awarded the Grand Cross of the Danish Royal Order of Dannebrog by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II.

After her tenure as Ambassador, Ms. Fulton returned to her previous law firm as a Partner at Williams & Connolly LLP, where her law practice included complex civil litigation, government investigations, and white-collar criminal defense. In 2004 she was named as one of "Washington's Top Lawyers" by Washingtonian magazine. Ms. Fulton was an active member of the Litigation, Criminal Justice and International Law Sections of the American Bar Association, and served as Co-Chair of the Criminal Litigation Committee of the Litigation Section. On July 31, 2014, she retired from the firm.

Ms. Fulton serves as a Director on the corporate board of Y.E.S., Your Electronic Supplier A/S. She serves on the boards of various non-profit organizations including Board of Directors of The Atlantic Council, Board of Trustees of Meridian International Center, Board of Directors of The Stimson Center, Board of Governors of Washington Foreign Law Society, and Board of Directors of Youth for Understanding. She serves as Chair of the Honorary Advisory Board of the American-Danish Business Council. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Council of American Ambassadors, and the American Society of International Law. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace (2004-08) and co-chaired USIP's International Advisory Council (2008-2010).

Prior to entering the field of law, Ms. Fulton worked on Capitol Hill. From 1982-1985, she was Executive Director of Peace Links, an organization dedicated to involving mainstream women to end the threat of nuclear war, engage in peace-building and promote alternative means of resolving international conflicts. She served on its Board of Directors (1989-2000). Her work was honored with the Pioneering Peace Builder Award by the National Peace Foundation in 2002.

Ms. Fulton earned a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and was recognized by UNO with a Citation for Alumnus Achievement. She received a J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law School (GULC) and was awarded Order of the Coif. GULC honored Ms. Fulton with an Outstanding Alumnae Award. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service from South Dakota State University.

Ambassadorial Post(s)

Denmark, (2009 - 2013)

Areas of Expertise

  • Justice - General Policy