The Oklahoma Bar Association annually recognizes the outstanding senior law school student from each of the state’s three law schools. The student honorees are selected by law school faculty and administration. In 2024, these students will receive their awards during ceremonies coordinated by their individual law school.

 

TU College of Law, Michael Carson

Michael Carson is a third-year law student graduating in December. Prior to beginning law school, he graduated summa cum laude from TU with a double major in accounting and energy management and a minor in economics. In law school, he has clerked throughout the summers and part time during the school years at multiple law firms within the Tulsa area. During the summer of his 1L year, he also passed all sections of the certified public accountant (CPA) exam on the first attempt, and he anticipates having his CPA license soon once he finishes the required work experience for licensure.

Mr. Carson has been awarded multiple CALI awards for earning the highest grade in his legal courses, and he has served as an associate editor and business manager of the Tulsa Law Review. He plans to practice transactional business law in Tulsa after graduating and passing the Oklahoma bar exam.

 

 

 

 

OCU School of Law, Caroline Rowland

Caroline Rowland is a third-year law student at the OCU School of Law and an Oklahoma City native. She has been on the dean’s list and the faculty honor roll and has been awarded six CALI Excellence for the Future awards. Ms. Rowland is the editor-in-chief of the Oklahoma City University Law Review, a member of the Native American Law Student Association moot court team, the treasurer of the Native American Law Student Association, an academic fellow serving as a teaching assistant to law professors for civil procedure and constitutional law and a member of the William J. Holloway Jr. American Inn of Court.

Ms. Rowland earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Texas Christian University, graduating magna cum laude. During her freshman year at TCU, she was selected as one of only 18 students to participate in the Chancellor’s Leadership Program. She was also a founding member of the mock trial team, the president of the Criminal Justice Society and Alpha Phi Sigma, a director for the AddRan Ambassadors Program and the lead volunteer over the Tarrant County Teen Court program.

Ms. Rowland currently serves as a court-appointed special advocate in Oklahoma County. She served as an extern to Federal Magistrate Judge Shon T. Erwin and will join McAfee & Taft as an associate attorney after graduation.

 

 

OU College of Law, Madison N.Y. Taylor

Madison "Maddie" Taylor is a third-year law student at the OU College of Law. She serves as the 2024-2025 Student Bar Association president. She is an articles editor for the Oil and Gas, Natural Resources, and Energy Journal (ONE J), for which she was previously recognized as an outstanding candidate. ONE J recently published her student comment, "Preventing Poor Pore Policy: A Call for Interstate Cooperation," in its 10th volume. She is a teaching assistant to Professor Erin DeWalt and a research assistant to Professor Evelyn Aswad. Additionally, she serves as a 1L mentor, is on the Board of Advocates and is a new student member of the Luther Bohanon American Inn of Court XXIII.

Ms. Taylor has earned three American Jurisprudence awards, has been on the dean's list for two semesters and is a recipient of the Jeremy West and Cole E. Adwon scholarships. She has also participated in several traveling and intraschool competition teams and was recognized as a distinguished speaker in 1L moot court. She has interned with GableGotwals, Hall Estill and the Finney County District Attorney's Office. She also participated in the American Indian Estates Clinic with Oklahoma Indian Legal Services.

Before law school, Ms. Taylor attended Colorado State University, where she was a University Honors Scholar and earned three bachelor's degrees in economics, political science and journalism. She served as a Teach for America corps member for two years after college. Upon graduating, she will join GableGotwals in Tulsa as an associate.