• News |  
• Articles |  
• Auburn prepares Caroline Milner for the highest levels of the legal profession

Loyalty and law: Auburn prepares Caroline Milner ’15 for the highest levels of the legal profession

Political Science and Psychology alumna Caroline Milner '15 turned her passion for leadership and service at Auburn into a legal career with clerkships at the highest levels of the federal judiciary.

Milner grew up in Huntsville, Alabama. After graduating from Auburn University with degrees in Political Science and Psychology in 2015, she attended the University of Alabama School of Law, where she earned her J.D. in 2018.

"I'm still an Auburn fan, don't worry," Milner laughed. "But I did enjoy my time in Tuscaloosa."

While at Auburn, Milner made the most of every opportunity to get involved. She served as a Student Government Association senator-at-large, a War Eagle Girl and chapter president of her sorority, Kappa Delta. During her senior year, she received one of Auburn's highest student honors when she was named Miss Auburn.

For Milner, those leadership experiences were just as valuable as what she learned in the classroom.

"Auburn prepares its students to balance many different interests at the same time," Milner said. "Auburn lets people actually practice being able to jump back and forth between being a student and being a human being."

When it came time to choose a law school, the University of Alabama stood out because of its close-knit environment and supportive faculty.

"My dad went to Alabama for law school, and I felt like it was a place where I could succeed," Milner said. "I had a great experience. There was a good group of Auburn people, so at least I did not feel completely alone on the football front."

After graduating from law school, Milner embarked on a series of federal judicial clerkships. She first clerked for Judge William H. Pryor Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. She became an associate at a firm in Nashville and thought that was a glimpse into her future. An aspirational application opened another unexpected door, earning her a clerkship with Judge Neomi Rao in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Through hard work and dedication, Milner found herself in one of the legal profession's most sought-after opportunities: clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

"Justice Thomas was a wonderful boss and mentor, and a wise person to work for," Milner said. "It was a really crazy and busy position, helping Justice Thomas manage his work and come to a decision on all his cases. It was an amazing experience, and I was able to learn so much."

Today, Milner practices complex commercial litigation at Kirkland & Ellis, where she works on both trial and appellate matters involving a wide variety of legal issues. She said the constantly changing nature of her work is what keeps it exciting.

"No matter what type of case I have, there's always a new puzzle to solve," Milner said. "I really enjoy figuring out new areas of law and piecing together the facts. The lawyers I work with every day are smart and good people, which makes a big difference to me.”

Looking back, Milner credits Auburn with giving her the skills and confidence to succeed long before she stepped into a law school classroom.

"I learned so much from my classes at Auburn. I had awesome professors who prepared me well for the transition from undergrad to law school," she said. "Law school is a very intense and a unique way to learn, but Auburn gave me the best chance to succeed."

Milner explains how Auburn's emphasis on interviewing and leadership prepared her for the competitive hiring process that comes with a legal career.

"Everything you do at Auburn, there's some sort of interview. The practice is so helpful because in law you do interviews to get any job that you want," Milner said. "Interviews are not fun while you're at Auburn, but they're good preparation for the workforce."

Now living in Washington, D.C., Milner appreciates the opportunities the city provides while staying connected to her Alabama roots.

"Things are exciting in D.C. There are lots of events, and it's easy to get swept up and overwhelmed in the D.C. scene," Milner said. "Growing up in Alabama grounded me and gave me a good sense of what's important in life. There's a really good community of Auburn people and Southeastern people here, so even though I live far away, there's still a tiny piece of home with me."

Learn more about the Pre-Law Scholars Program at the College of Liberal Arts website.

Tags: Political Science Psychological Sciences Alumni