Murphy Faculty Honored for Advancing Civil and Legal Scholarship

The Murphy Institute’s Center for Law and the Economy faculty member and Tulane Law Professor Carla Laroche has been awarded the Dr. Norman C. Francis Award by the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society. The award recognizes Carla as an exemplary educator providing outstanding contributions to the legal community, scholarly discourse, and civil education. The award commemorates the deep legacy of Dr. Norman C. Francis—an iconic educator and civil rights champion—by recognizing educators who follow in his footsteps: leaders who blend academic excellence with social justice and a commitment to community empowerment.

Carla received the honor at the Martinet Scholarship Gala & Jazz Brunch on September 6, 2025, an annual event bringing members of the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society together in celebration of its mission to balance justice and effectuate change.  

As the Felder-Fayard Associate Professor of Law at Tulane University, Carla teaches in the Murphy Undergraduate Program in Political Economy. She leads courses focused on people who are incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, women of color, and low-income communities. Her scholarship addresses barriers to accessing justice, with a focus on criminal law, gender, race, civil rights, and family law.  

We congratulate Carla on this well-deserved recognition of her dedication to systemic reform, economic rights, and her impactful contributions to civil education and the legal community.