Carolina Law Welcomes New Faculty 

The UNC School of Law is thrilled to welcome four distinguished professors to its faculty. Kara Bruce, Carrie Floyd, Caleb Griffin, and Caroline Osborne bring diverse expertise and innovative approaches to legal education, each enhancing Carolina Law’s commitment to excellence in teaching and research. 

Kara Bruce

Returning to her alma mater, Kara Bruce joins Carolina Law as a professor specializing in bankruptcy, secured transactions, and civil procedure. A double Tar Heel with two degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Tulane law degree, Bruce brings 15 years of teaching experience from institutions including the University of Toledo and the University of Oklahoma. Her scholarly contributions are impressive, co-authoring forthcoming editions of “The Law of Bankruptcy” and “Problems and Materials on Secured Transactions,” while serving as a contributing editor to the Bankruptcy Law Letter. 

In the classroom, Bruce’s innovative approach shines through. She employs problem-based teaching methods, incorporating learning games that foster community, inclusion, and engagement. This strategy not only makes complex commercial law topics accessible but also reflects her deep commitment to student success. As a first-generation law student herself, Bruce brings a personal understanding to her mentorship, supporting students throughout their legal education journey. Her current research, exploring the insolvency implications of decentralized autonomous organizations, showcases her interest in the cutting edge of bankruptcy law. 

Carrie Floyd

Carrie Floyd brings her passion for clinical education to Carolina Law as an assistant professor and the new director of the Civil Legal Assistance Clinic. In this role, Floyd will guide law students as they represent low-income community members in housing and landlord-tenant litigation, providing hands-on experience in real-world legal challenges. She will also lead a year-long seminar focused on developing essential litigation skills. 

Floyd’s research interests lie at the intersection of consumer rights and financial technology, with recent work examining the impact of virtual rent-to-own agreements on underserved communities. Her multidisciplinary background, including degrees from Swarthmore College, the University of Michigan School of Social Work, and Wayne State University Law School, informs her holistic approach to legal education. Prior to joining Carolina Law, Floyd honed her clinical teaching skills as a fellow at the University of Michigan Law School’s Veterans Legal Clinic. Looking ahead, she’s excited to collaborate with students to identify priority cases and address pressing community legal needs, building on the clinic’s strong legacy of service. 

Caleb Griffin

Caleb Griffin joins Carolina Law as an associate professor, bringing expertise in corporate law, corporate governance, and technology policy & regulation. His impressive scholarship has graced the pages of prestigious publications such as the Cornell Law Review, Florida Law Review, and Alabama Law Review, and his teaching portfolio, which includes Contracts, Business organizations, and corporate governance, echoes his deep engagement with business law education. 

A Harvard Law School graduate, Griffin has held teaching positions at law schools in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Virginia. His experience extends beyond academia; before joining the faculty, he practiced corporate law at Vinson & Elkins LLP in Houston, Texas. Griffin’s expertise has also been recognized in policy circles, having testified before the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on the index fund voting process. This blend of academic rigor and real-world experience promises to enrich the learning environment at Carolina Law. 

Caroline Osborne

Caroline Osborne’s appointment as associate professor of law and director of the Kathrine R. Everett Law Library marks a homecoming for this distinguished alumna of UNC-Chapel Hill. In her new role, Osborne will shape the strategic direction of the library, overseeing collection development, resource allocation, and service enhancement. Her research interests span a broad range of topics, including copyright law, cultural property law, scholarly impact, library and information management, and legal research pedagogy. 

Osborne’s contributions to legal literature and librarianship have earned her significant recognition. Her recent work, “Sources and Strategies of Legal Research,” received both the 2024 Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award and the American Association of Law Libraries Special Interest Section Book Award. She was also honored with the 2023 Frederick Charles Hicks Award for Outstanding Contributions to Academic Law Librarianship. Looking ahead, Osborne plans to propose a new course on cultural property law, while her current research explores how copyright law might protect the culture of indigenous sovereign nations. With her B.A. and M.S.L.S. from the University of North Carolina, J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law, and LL.M. from Emory Law, Osborne brings both professional expertise and a personal connection to her role at Carolina Law.