Laurence graduated from law school over thirty years ago. He has been a certified Family Law Mediator since 2002. He is also a certified Family Law Arbitrator and a certified Parenting Coordinator. In December 2016, Laurence was awarded the designation of Queen’s Counsel by the Attorney General of British Columbia. He is a resident of New Westminster and Harrison Mills, British Columbia.
After graduating from high school, Laurence attended the University of Toronto. He majored in both history and political science and received his Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in 1983.
After graduating from the University of Toronto, Laurence pursued graduate studies in the field of political science and economics. Laurence received his Master of Arts degree in 1985.
In September 1985, Laurence entered the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario. He graduated with his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1988.
Laurence was called to the Bar in the Province of Ontario in November 1990. Subsequently, he was called to the Bar in the Province of Nova Scotia in October 1991.
In 1989, after finishing his articled year, Laurence moved to Ottawa, and accepted a position as Special Assistant to the Opposition Critic for Foreign Affairs in the House of Commons. The following year, Laurence was appointed Special Counsel to the Opposition House Leader.
In 1992, Laurence decided to join his mother and his younger brother on the West Coast, and was called to the Bar of the Province of British Columbia in August 1993.
In January 2000, Laurence opened his own law firm, Scott & Company, in Kamloops focusing on divorce and family law. He also opened a branch office in Merritt, British Columbia which primarily served Indigenous families throughout the Thompson and Okanagan regions of British Columbia.
In September 2004, Laurence relocated his law practice from Kamloops to New Westminster, British Columbia and the Quay Law Centre, then the largest group of divorce and family lawyers in British Columbia. When the Quay Law Centre closed its New Westminster offices in June 2019, Laurence joined Baker Newby LLP as Associate Counsel.
Laurence has an active and busy law practice and has attended on matters before the Provincial Court of British Columbia, the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the British Columbia Court of Appeal.
Laurence has also been actively involved in advancing the interests of the legal profession and working for greater access to justice. For three years ending in 2007, Laurence served as Chair of the Legal Aid Committee of the Canadian Bar Association (British Columbia). In 2005, he was elected a Member of the Provincial Council of the Canadian Bar Association (British Columbia) for a three year term representing Westminster County. Most recently he was a member of the Court Services Committee of the Canadian Bar Association (British Columbia). Laurence has also lectured on divorce and family law at the Professional Legal Training Course.
In 2014, Laurence served as President of the New Westminster Bar Association, the oldest and most active local bar association in the Province. Laurence agreed to serve a second term as President of the New Westminster Bar Association for 2017.
Most recently, Laurence was appointed a Governor of the Law Foundation of British Columbia in January 2017. He was re-appointed a Governor of the Law Foundation for a second term in January 2020.
Laurence has held a variety of leadership roles with the Navy League of Canada, the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program in Canada for many years. He has also been involved with the KidStart Mentoring Program (PLEA Community Services Society of British Columbia), the Robert F. Kennedy Centre for Justice and Human Rights, the Vancouver International Writers Festival as well as several other local charities and community groups.