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His time in Nottingham came after their European highlights, but he still played in FA Cup and League Cup finals in the red shirts of the club.
And he was playing on that fateful day in April 1989 when an FA Cup semi-finalturned into a tragedy that saw 96 Liverpool supporters crushed to death in the Leppings Lane end at Hillsborough.
Ten minutes into the game Laws was preparing to take a throw-in to team-mate Nigel Clough when a supporter ran onto the pitch.
At first he feared hooliganism, but slowly one of the worst tragedies in football history unfolded.
Laws said: "Being part of that, everything seems to pale into insignificance.
"It had an effect on everybody, others have seen things as well that I wasn't privy too – bodies being carried out. It was very distressing for everybody concerned in the ground.
"Some more than most, but it is a picture in my mind that I'll never forget - ever.
"It was like watching a movie in slow motion. There was a deadly silence with people lying on their backs, on boards, scattered everywhere across the park and over the pitch. I was in disbelief, it was crazy.
"I think to this day every player that took part in that has thought about it and never forgot it.
"The day they did a reconstruction of it I watched it and cried my eyes out because I felt ever so sorry for the families."
Forest may hold a special place in his heart, but Laws is determined to put one over his old side.
He added: "Forest's fans must be cringing when they look at the fixtures and see their team alongside Scunthorpe, Yeovil and Chesterfield.
"But even though they are rightly favourites to win the division we won't be going there to make the numbers up."
The omens aren't good for the travelling Iron support - in the two competitive games between the sides, Forest have a 100 per cent winning record and have yet to concede a goal.
Both meetings came in the League Cup, with Forest triumphing 1-0 at the Old Showground in 1967 and 2-0 at the City Ground last season.
But United are the form team going into the game - with four points from their last two games contrasting with successive defeats for Forest.
And the 'fallen giants' have lost their last two games, against Walsall and Swindon, so could be in for a nervy day if the result doesn't go their way.