2025 Graduate Feature: Caroline Keating
Graduate Hopes to Impact Community and Inspire Future Women Lawyers
Caroline Keating, a 2025 graduate of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, said her mother has always been her role model, not necessarily because of the career she chose, but because she loved her job.
"She was a great example of someone who had passion for what she did. It was more than a job to her,” Keating said.
Before coming to law school, Keating earned a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from the University of Alabama. While studying there, Keating solidified her desire to go to law school after realizing that many of her strengths aligned with the qualities she often heard were traits of successful attorneys. She had a good work ethic and strong organizational skills in addition to being detail-oriented and able to easily connect with people to build friendships and community.
Once she decided on law school, Keating immediately knew she wanted to return to her hometown and attend UK because she loved the Lexington community.
Caroline Keating’s mother, Sonja Keating, is also a graduate of the law school at UK. Sonja Keating serves as the chief operating officer and general counsel for the United States Equestrian Federation. However, Caroline Keating said her mother never pushed her to follow in her footsteps but supported her as she found her own way.
Caroline Keating started law school looking for something that piqued her interest and would lead to a career she loved. Coincidentally, she found that she loved equine law.
One thing that attracted me to equine law was the significance of the Thoroughbred industry to Kentucky. It is an essential part of what makes the Commonwealth unique,” she said. “The idea of being part of it and contributing to its sustainability is meaningful to me.”
Keating will join Stoll Keenon Ogden as an associate and focus on equine law, particularly in horse racing and business transactions. "The horseracing industry has had it challenges. I really want to support it and see it thrive,” Keating said.
Keating described a positive, supportive experience at UK Rosenberg College of Law.“I appreciate the culture at the law school. In my experience, UK law students are not competitive in an unhealthy toxic way. The friends I made in law school celebrated my successes. I’ve met people at the law school who I know will be lifelong friends of mine,” she said.
Coming into law school, Keating said she worried about the competitive nature of law school, but she believes that the faculty helped to create a supportive environment inside and outside of the classroom.
“My professors have always been accessible,” Keating said. “They are genuinely invested in the learning and growth of their students.”
As she prepares to enter the next phase of her legal career, Keating said she hopes to influence more young women to go to law school and practice law.
Keating said she wants to be a positive impact in her community.
“I like the idea of working in the legal sphere and being another female role model who inspires young women to want to become lawyers,” she said.
