Born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, Vance received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School in 1978, where she served as a managing editor of the Tulane Law Review.

[2] On June 8, 1994, President Bill Clinton nominated Vance to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana vacated by Judge Henry Mentz who assumed senior status on July 1, 1992.

[5] Vance has been a member of the American Law Institute since 1996, and serves on its Executive Committee and its Council.

[6][7] She served as an advisor to the ALI’s International Jurisdiction and Judgments project from 2003 to 2006 and the Restatement of the Law on Liability Insurance from 2010 to 2019,[4][7][8] and currently serves as an advisor to the Restatement of the Law Third, Torts: Remedies.

[citation needed] In 2022, Vance received the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award for a distinguished career and significant contributions to the administration of justice, the advancement of the rule of law, and the improvement of society as a whole.