News Archive

Students at IU McKinney School of Law have selected the 2023 recipients of the annual Cane Awards. The Cane Awards serve as a means for the students to show their appreciation for faculty and staff members who have gone above and beyond during each school year.

The Black Cane for most outstanding professor went to Professor Margaret Tarkington. Professor Tarkington joined the faculty in 2011. She is a nationally recognized scholar and expert regarding the First Amendment rights of lawyers. Her scholarship bridges specialties in constitutional law, lawyer regulation, and procedure—harnessing the First Amendment as a means to protect the integrity of government processes. Professor Tarkington is a Dean’s Fellow and director of the J.D. Program Evaluation and Assessment at IU McKinney.

The Red Cane for best new professor went to Professor Alia Hoss. This is the fourth time she has received the honor. Professor Hoss joined the faculty in 2022 as an associate professor. She previously taught at IU McKinney as a visiting professor with the Hall Center for Law and Health when she also won the Red Cane award in 2018, 2019, and 2020. She teaches and researches at the intersection of health law and federal Indian law.

The White Cane for best administrator went to Associate Director of Academic and Bar Success Courtney Ducker, J.D. ’20. Ducker practiced civil litigation focusing on property and real estate law before joining the staff at IU McKinney in 2021. As a McKinney graduate, she uses her familiarity with the law school professors and curriculum to help current and future students succeed both during law school and after graduation when they take the bar exam.