Hancock County Native Earns Law Degree from Yale Law School
By Lane Tongate
Kayla Ann Woodward’s graduation from Yale Law School in May 2026 marked the culmination of years of hard work, determination, and the support of a community that helped shape her long before she ever stepped onto Yale’s campus.
A 2019 graduate of Hancock County High School, Woodward also attended the Gatton Academy at Western Kentucky University. She is the daughter of Todd and Hancock County Native Earns Law Degree from Yale Law School Mary Woodward. Her family, including her brother, Justin Laslie, is celebrating her achievement.
For Woodward, becoming a lawyer wasn’t always the plan. “I originally thought I wanted to become a teacher because I loved math and education,” she said.
“Then I had a friend who was interested in law. I took a practice LSAT just to see how I’d do, and I realized law had the same kind of logical thinking and problem solving that I loved about math.” She said
she originally expected to attend law school at the University of Kentucky, but decided to apply to several schools, including Yale. “I never really expected to get in,” she said. “It was a surprise, but it was an incredible opportunity.”
Looking back on her time at Yale, Woodward said the people she met made the experience just as meaningful as the education itself. “The professors were incredibly supportive,” she said. “Being surrounded by classmates from so many different backgrounds and experiences challenged me to think differently. I grew so much, both personally and professionally.” After graduating, Woodward moved to Chicago, where she is completing a graduate fellowship through the Public Interest Law Initiative with Administer Justice, a nonprofit that helps establish legal aid clinics through churches. After taking the bar exam, she plans to work for Sidley Austin as a transactional associate while continuing pro bono work that expands access to legal services.
As a first-generation college student and a National Merit Scholar, Woodward hopes her story reminds students from small towns that opportunities like Yale are within reach. “I want people to know that places like Yale are accessible,” she said.“ You don’t have to come from a big city or have connections. Students from communities like Hancock County belong in those spaces, too. Dream big and don’t count yourself out.”
When asked who helped her along the way, Woodward didn’t hesitate. “I wish I could show every teacher I’ve ever had my degree,” she said. “The teachers I had at North Hancock Elementary, Hancock County Middle School and Hancock County High School all had apart in helping me get here. I had so many people who believed in me before I believed in myself, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
