When he completed a survey in high school to identify his career interests, the top profession recommended for him was an attorney.

[3] Laurer served a distinguished 30-year career in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

His early assignments included serving as trial counsel at the Naval Legal Service Office San Francisco and as the legal advisor for Naval Special Warfare Group 1, where he worked closely with West Coast and Pacific SEAL teams, even undergoing Army airborne training to better understand parachute operations and investigations.

[2][3] On August 28, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Laurer to serve as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

President Trump nominated Laurer to the seat vacated by Judge Mary J. Schoelen, whose term subsequently expired on December 20, 2019.

On January 3, 2020, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.