Beth Laurence joined Nolo as a legal editor in 1997. She holds a law degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law, a B.A. degree from Boston University (Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude), and is a member of the California State Bar. Laurence has combined her legal and financial expertise to edit many Nolo small business books and online software applications over the years.  She is the co-author of Business Buyout Agreements: A Step-by-Step Guide for Co-Owners and Save Your Small Business: 10 Crucial Strategies to Survive Hard Times or Close Down & Move On. Before joining Nolo, Laurence worked as an electronic product developer at CCH, Inc. (a division of Wolters Klewer, Inc.), where she created legal online and CD-ROM products. Over the last decade she has been active on the board of directors of several local environmental and educational nonprofit organizations.