Tulane Law Students Receive Dr. King Student Leadership Award
Tulane University honored third-year law students Daevon Adams and Jillian M. Jackson with the Dr. King Student Leadership Award, recognizing two outstanding student leaders united by a shared commitment to using the law to advance opportunity, dignity, and justice.
The King Award honors students whose leadership and service embody Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision and Tulane’s core values of academic excellence, collaborative engagement, and a welcoming community. Adams and Jackson exemplify those ideals through sustained leadership, academic distinction, and deep engagement with the New Orleans community and beyond.
Jackson, a Memphis native and Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Spelman College, has been a leader at Tulane Law since her arrival. Elected to the Student Bar Association each of her three years, she currently serves as 3L Class President, following roles as Executive Vice President and 1L Secretary. She has also been an active member of the Black Law Students Association, serving as a head coach of the Thurgood Marshall Appellate Moot Court Team and mentoring students in the New Orleans community.
Jackson’s commitment to civil rights and equal justice is reflected in her work as a student attorney in the Civil Rights and Federal Practice Clinic and through internships with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights. She has volunteered with the Orleans Parish Teen Court, supported pipeline programs introducing students to legal education, and served on the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s nonpartisan election protection hotline. A proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Jackson aspires to continue using her legal training in service of the public good.
Adams, a New Orleans native and first-generation law student, has focused his legal training on advancing equity through entertainment law, public policy, and housing advocacy. His professional experience includes work with Create Music Group, NBCUniversal’s Music Business and Legal Affairs Department, Arrington & Phillips, LLP, and the Ella Project, where he has supported artists and creatives in securing fair agreements and protecting their rights.
At Tulane Law, Adams (L'26) has paired academic excellence and national moot court success with institution-building leadership. As President of the Tulane Entertainment & Art Law Society and Co-Director of the Tulane Entertainment Negotiation Competition, he helped expand Tulane’s entertainment law programming into a national platform connecting students with faculty, alumni, and industry leaders.
His advocacy work with the Urban League of Louisiana reflects his commitment to addressing systemic barriers affecting Black and low-income communities, while his mentorship supports first-generation and underrepresented law students. After winning the Thurgood Marshall National Moot Court Competition in 2025, Adams supported the next generation of competitors as a team coach.
“Daevon and Jillian represent the very best of Tulane Law—students who pair intellectual excellence with a deep sense of responsibility to their communities,” said Dean Marcilynn Burke. “Through their leadership, service, and commitment to justice, they honor Dr. King’s legacy and remind us of the transformative role lawyers can play in building a more just and inclusive society.”
Adams and Jackson demonstrate the power of law when guided by purpose, compassion, and community. Their selection for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award highlights the impact Tulane Law students are making—on campus, in New Orleans, and beyond.
