Grace was born in Macon, Georgia to a working-class family. As a student, Grace was a fan of Shakespearean literature, and intended to become an English professor after graduating from college. Her life changed after the murder of her fiancé, Keith Griffin, when she was 19. The incident motivated her to enroll in law school and eventually to become a felony prosecutor and a supporter of victims' rights.

A law review member and graduate of the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University, Grace received her Master of Laws in constitutional and criminal law from New York University. She has written articles and opinion pieces for legal periodicals, notably the American Bar Association Journal. Grace worked as a clerk for a federal court judge and practiced antitrust and consumer protection law with the Federal Trade Commission. She taught litigation at the Georgia State University College of Law and business law at GSU's School of Business. As of 2006, she is part of Mercer University's board of trustees and adopted a section of the street surrounding the law school.