Meet Rural Justice Initiative Participant Tyler Lawson
08/20/2025
Tyler Lawson is a 2L from Brownstown, Indiana, who began law school at IU McKinney as a student in the hybrid program.
Did you work before coming to law school? If so, please tell me a little about that, if you would.
Yes; prior to law school, I worked at Cummins Inc. for about five years in environmental compliance and regulatory affairs. My duties mainly involved sensing, analyzing, and communicating on new materials-related regulation, such as regulations restricting the use of hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, PFAS, etc.
What brought you to IU McKinney?
I initially came to McKinney because of the part-time hybrid program. I was interested in law school but wanted to continue working for Cummins, and the hybrid program provided me that opportunity. This summer, I made the decision to switch to full-time. I would still highly recommend the hybrid program for any prospective students, especially those who need to keep working while in school or are hesitant to take the leap straight to full-time.
Any lawyers in the family? What made you want to become a lawyer?
I will be the first lawyer in my family. I have always had some interest in becoming a lawyer as I felt it matched my skillset well, as I enjoy reading, writing, and making persuasive arguments. I decided to start law school last year because I worked with several lawyers in my job with Cummins that were brilliant and had incredible critical thinking and problem-solving skills that I wanted to personally develop. Ultimately, my main drive for becoming a lawyer is that I want to use my personal skillset and passion for justice to have a direct, positive impact on people who need help the most.
What made you want to take part in the Rural Justice Initiative? What are you hoping to gain from the experience?
I am from a rural county – Brownstown is the county seat of Jackson County, where I worked this summer with Judge AmyMarie Travis in Jackson Superior Court. (In the photo, Judge Travis, left, is with Lawson in the courtroom.) This summer, I gained a lot of knowledge on the procedural side of court, as I got to watch a lot of both criminal and civil hearings. I also gained a lot of experience researching legal issues and writing and felt like I really got to improve my skills in this area over the duration.
What area of law are you hoping to practice in after you complete your legal education?
I am still trying to keep an open mind on area of law that I want to practice in the future, as there are many areas I still have no experience with or knowledge of; however, I am strongly leaning toward criminal law at this point. I would like to practice in Jackson County, where I am from, or a nearby rural county.
