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IU McKinney first-year law student Carson Tranter (in the photo at right) worked as an intern in Indiana Senator Todd Young’s office the summer before law school. Senator Young is a 2006 graduate of IU McKinney.

Where are you from? Where did you do your undergraduate studies and what was your major?

I'm from Fort Wayne, Indiana, where I attended Homestead High School. Coming from a large high school, I wanted a small school experience for college. I majored in economics at Hanover College.

How did the internship with Senator Young come about? What made you want to take part in that experience?

Like many Americans, I am frustrated with the polarization and dysfunction in our political system. Senator Todd Young has a record of cutting through this dysfunction, being equally committed to conservative principles and bipartisan efforts that make progress on behalf of all Hoosiers. I applied to support Senator Young's work and gain meaningful experience in government.

I learned so much about the legislative process throughout the summer. I worked closely with Senator Young's legislative staff and was assigned research projects on a wide range of policy areas: Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the China-Taiwan conflict, Social Security reforms, tax policy, etc. I learned how research like this directly contributes to proposed legislation. I attended countless House and Senate committee hearings, the real work of Congress.

I also interacted with Hoosier constituents throughout the summer. From taking constituent calls, hearing from lobbyist groups, and giving tours of the Capitol, I gained a stronger understanding of how Hoosiers feel about issues and their efforts to affect public policy.

My internship with Senator Young allowed me to reexamine and grow my political opinions and expanded my worldview. I expect my experience will give great context to legal concepts discussed in the classroom and aid my career.

Any lawyers in your family? What made you decide you wanted to go to law school?

I have no lawyers in my immediate family. But I decided to pursue law school after a summer internship in 2022 at One Southern Indiana Chamber of Commerce. As an added benefit from this internship, I met with several lawyers that summer to better understand their careers. I need a fulfilling profession where I can help the public, and every lawyer I met was serving the public in their own way.

What brought you to IU McKinney? Any student groups you'd like to take part in? Any experiential learning opportunities you have your eye on?

I was attracted to IU McKinney because of its strong connections to Indiana state government and the surrounding legal community. As a law student, I'm hoping to get well-acquainted with my classmates and professors and grow intellectually. I'm eyeing to join both the Federalist Society and American Constitution Society, where I hope to meet like-minded individuals. McKinney's Program on Law and State Government is also of great interest.

What are your plans for after law school?

I have no fixed plans for after law school. I have interests in business law, government law, and lobbying, but I look forward to diving into coursework to guide my career choices.