Interested in learning more about student life at Carolina Law? Our students are more than happy to share their experiences with you. If you would like to speak with a current student, contact Brenda Tabolt, Assistant Director of Admissions.
CLA Leadership
CLA President
Sutton Orndorff*
Education: University of Richmond
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Legal Interests: Commercial Real Estate, Land Use & Zoning, Construction
Campus Involvement: First Amendment Law Review, Externship at the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Women in Law, Law Students Against Sexual and Domestic Violence
Fun Fact: I have two dogs, a golden retriever and a poodle!
CLA Vice President
Dalton Lutz
Education: Brigham Young University
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina
Legal Interests: Trusts and Estates, Bankruptcy, Private Practice
Campus Involvement: Moot Court, Alternative Dispute Resolution Team, Transactional and Corporate Law Association, Deans Fellows, Christian Legal Society
Fun Fact: I lived in Mongolia for 2 years
CLA Ambassadors
Nick Bakaysa
Education: Northwestern University
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Legal Interests: Antitrust and Competition Law
Campus Involvement: American Constitution Society, OutLaw, Transactional and Corporate Law Association, and Run Club
Fun Fact: I’ve held a door open for Jeff Bezos!
Ben Barnabei
Education: The University of Georgia
Hometown: Davidson, North Carolina
Legal Interests: Financial law or Real Estate law
Campus Involvement: Christian legal society, St. Thomas Moore society
Fun Fact: I can list all the presidents in order
Kallie Bergers
Education: University of South Carolina
Hometown: Northville, Michigan
Legal Interests: Financial Services Regulation
Campus Involvement: North Carolina Banking Institute Journal, Holderness Moot Court (Sports Law Negotiations Team), Externship at the North Carolina Business Court, Consumer Legal Advocacy Society, Women in Law
Fun Fact: I’ve visited 45 countries!
Ethan Brinkley
Education: East Carolina University, East Carolina University (MS Security Studies)
Hometown: Benson, North Carolina
Legal Interests: Criminal Litigation
Campus Involvement: Journal (First Amendment Law Review), Media Law Society, OutLaw
Fun Fact: I’m currently the head coach of a U16 travel soccer team!
Tyriq Brown
Education: North Carolina State University
Hometown: Clayton, North Carolina
Legal Interests: Civil Rights Law, Education Law, Employment Law, Criminal Law
Campus Involvement: Black Law Student Association, Anti Death Penalty Project, Deans Fellow, North Carolina Civil Rights Law Review
Fun Fact: I have never been to a concert
Meredith Byrd**
Education: Anderson University (SC)
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Legal Interests: Child/Youth Advocacy, Family Law, Family Defense, Education, Public Interest
Campus Involvement: Family Defense Clinic, Pro Bono, Women in Law, Law Students Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, Anti-Death Penalty Project
Fun Fact: I went 10 years without having soda
Anna Calloway
Education: University of Georgia
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Legal Interests: Intellectual Property, Civil Litigation, Transactional Law
Campus Involvement: Women in Law, OutLaw, and the Anti-Death Penalty Project
Fun Fact: I was a bartender for three years, so I am weirdly good at eyeballing measurements 🙂
Maggie Caudle
Education: UNC-CH
Hometown: Wilmington, North Carolina
Legal Interests: Media Law, Environmental Law, Municipal Law
Campus Involvement: First Amendment Law Review, SeaGrant Law and Policy Fellowship, Externship with Town of Apex, Media Law Society, Sports and Entertainment Law Association, Environmental Law Project, Women in Law, OutLaw
Fun Fact: I won an RV trip on the Kelly Clarkson show in 2023!
Carley Cook
Education: UNC Chapel Hill
Hometown: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Legal Interests: Public defense
Campus Involvement: Externship at Alamance County Public Defenders, Youth Justice clinic, Broun National Trial Team, North Carolina Law Review, Anti-Death Penalty Project, American Constitution Society
Fun Fact: I walked the Camino de Santiago!
Kaylyn Cooper
Education: Indiana University
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Legal Interests: Appellate Litigation, Tax Law, Healthcare Law
Campus Involvement: Christian Legal Society, Law Students Against Domestic Violence, Women in Law
Fun Fact: I know morse code!
Abby Cota
Education: University of Nebraska
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Legal Interests: Labor & employment, sports
Campus Involvement: North Carolina Law Review, Women in Law
Fun Fact: I have bungee jumped off the highest commercial jump in the world
Stephanie Duensing
Education: Pepperdine University
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Legal Interests: Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law
Campus Involvement: Externship, Women in Law, Hispanic Latino Law Student Association, Sports and Entertainment Law Association
Fun Fact: I took surfing classes in undergrad!
Antoine Espadero
Education: N.C. State University
Hometown: Singapore, North Carolina
Legal Interests: Transactional and Corporate, Litigation, Appellate Practice
Campus Involvement: N/A
Fun Fact: I’m a big The Lord of The Rings fan and have been to The Shire in New Zealand!
Martina Essert
Education: University of Georgia
Hometown: Chesapeake, Virginia
Legal Interests: Commercial litigation, media, labor & employment
Campus Involvement: North Carolina Law Review, Media Law Society, Dean’s Fellows
Fun Fact: My great-great-great grandmother swam ashore from a shipwreck off the coast of the Outer Banks!
Brett Goble
Education: Centre College
Hometown: Georgetown, Kentucky
Legal Interests: Corporate & Transactional, Private Equity & Private Credit, Real Estate, Environmental
Campus Involvement: Journal of Law and Technology, in-house externship with Kymera International, LLC, Military Veterans clinic, Dean’s fellow
Fun Fact: I worked at a movie theater for three years during high school and saw unlimited free movies as a perk of the job.
Hannah Hall
Education: Michigan State University
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland
Legal Interests: Transactional & Corporate (Entertainment)
Campus Involvement: Transactional & Corporate Law Association, Women in Law, Sports & Entertainment Law Association, Student Bar Association, Deans Fellow
Fun Fact: I love to bake and I am on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Matthew Heldman
Education: Emory University
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Legal Interests: Real Estate and Land Use
Campus Involvement: Community Development Law Clinic, Journal of Law and Technology, Honors Writing Scholar, Dean’s Fellow (last year), SBA Alumni Affairs Committee, Dean’s Advisory Council, Jewish Law Association
Fun Fact: I have a lapel pin collection with over 600 pins!
EJ Jessup
Education: George Washington University, George Washington University (M.A. in Media and Strategic Communication)
Hometown: Chapel Hill originally, D.C. for the last 10 years (I think of both as my hometown), North Carolina
Legal Interests: I’m keeping an open mind, but at this point I’m most interested in civil rights, labor and employment, and media/first amendment law
Campus Involvement: OutLaw, the Anti Death Penalty Project, Labor and Employment Law Association, Media Law Society
Fun Fact: N/A
Sarah Jewett
Education: Dartmouth College
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina (since undergrad, I’ve also lived in Norfolk, VA and metro Detroit!)
Legal Interests: Education Law, Public Interest Law, Non-Profit Law, Sports Law
Campus Involvement: Women in Law, Pro Bono Program, Carolina Public Interest Law Organization, Sports and Entertainment Law
Fun Fact: I worked at a bakery decorating sugar cookies and have made sets for bridal showers and birthday parties!
Pat Kavanagh
Education: University of Maryland
Hometown: Millville, NJ, New Jersey
Legal Interests: Transactional/Corporate Law in private practice, specifically Real Estate and Structured Finance
Campus Involvement: Externship program in Spring 2026!, Transactional and Corporate Law Association, Enrichment Group Leader for 1L Contracts class
Fun Fact: I worked in a pizza shop for five summers growing up on the Jersey Shore!
Karolyn Martin
Education: Appalachian State University
Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina
Legal Interests: Corporate
Campus Involvement: North Carolina Law Review, Community Development Clinic, Deans’ Advisory Counsel, Dean’s Fellows, Black Law Student Association, Women in Law
Fun Fact: I have signed up to skydive 3 times and it rained each time (I will not be trying again)!
TJ Picciotti
Education: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Hometown: Ocean City, Maryland
Legal Interests: Energy development and regulation, administrative law
Campus Involvement: North Carolina Law Review, Moot Court, Environmental Law Project, Run Club
Fun Fact: I make a giant batch of a different soup every Sunday from October through March. It kicks my week off on a high note.
Avani Putcha
Education: Vanderbilt University
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Legal Interests: Transactional / Corporate: M&A, Investment Funds
Campus Involvement: Immigration Clinic, Asian American Law Students Association, Women in Law, Transactional & Corporate Law Association
Fun Fact: I have the same birthday as both of my parents!
Cameron Randall
Education: Baylor University
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Legal Interests: Corporate, Real Estate, Healthcare Regulatory, Small Business
Campus Involvement: N/A
Fun Fact: I have a long haired mini-dachshund named, Louie.
Sara Rich
Education: UNC Chapel Hill
Hometown: Mooresville, NC, North Carolina
Legal Interests: General litigation, antitrust, labor and employment, and white collar crime investigations
Campus Involvement: North Carolina Law Review, legal extern at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, pro bono projects, Dean’s Fellow, Co-President of Consumer Legal Advocacy Society and member of Women in Law, Carolina Public Interest Organization and Anti-Death Penalty Project
Fun Fact: I am ordained and officiated a wedding in Sweden!
Samuel Taylor
Education: University of Alabama, University of Alabama (MPA)
Hometown: Fayette, AL, Alabama
Legal Interests: Financial, constitutional, and appellate law
Campus Involvement: North Carolina Banking Journal and Externship with the North Carolina Commission of Banks, Federalist Society, Run Club
Fun Fact: I attended the World Cup while studying abroad in college.
Colton Wood
Education: UNC-CH
Hometown: Garner, North Carolina
Legal Interests: General litigation
Campus Involvement: UNC Law Run Club, Carolina Health Law Association, Transaction and Corporate Law Association, Labor and Employment Law Association
Fun Fact: I am slightly ambidextrous. I do almost everything right-handed, but I eat and throw frisbee with my left hand.
Grace Yager
Education: Clemson University
Hometown: Charleston and Fort Mill (spent equal time in both), South Carolina
Legal Interests: International law, employment law, transactional, and human rights
Campus Involvement: Women in Law, Outlaw, and Transactional and Corporate Law Association
Fun Fact: I met the Jonas Brothers at a meet and greet and then fell asleep in the front row of the concert halfway through.
*undergraduate student athlete
**working towards a dual degree