COSAM News Articles 2020 April Applied Mathematics Helps Alumnus as a Trial Attorney

Applied Mathematics Helps Alumnus as a Trial Attorney

Published: 04/06/2020

Auburn graduate Tom Oliver uses his background in applied mathematics to relate complex laws to the real world.

A trial attorney and founding shareholder at Birmingham-based Carr Allison, Oliver handles complex litigation involving catastrophic injuries for national transportation companies throughout the Southeast. However, prior to his career as a lawyer, Oliver was a student in the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM).

Oliver graduated from Auburn in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics. Originally an engineering student, Oliver made the switch to COSAM and found the combination of his mathematics professors and classes as a challenge that really impacted his education.

“The applied mathematics curriculum really challenged me and taught me to think critically, which ultimately provided me with a great platform for being successful in law school and my career as a lawyer,” Oliver said.

After leaving Auburn, Oliver went on to pursue his Juris Doctorate degree at Samford University. Since then, he has litigated cases in state and federal courts of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia, as well as developed Carr Allison’s accident response GO TEAM.

“The biggest challenge is learning the laws and technology that apply to transportation companies. I relish the challenge, as my personal motto has always been ‘learn something new every day’,” he said.

In his years of practicing, Oliver has received numerous recognitions and accolades.

He served in multiple positions for USLAW, including as chairman from 2015-2016. He is an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, a trustee and former president of the Alabama Law Foundation, and a board member and former chairman of the Alabama Chapter of the March of Dimes.

Additionally, Oliver served as president of the Auburn University Bar Association and chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Alabama State Bar. He continues to remain active in the Alabama State Bar and the American Bar Association.

Looking back, he views the challenges and hard work put in at Auburn as the first step to getting his career off the ground.

“My advice for current COSAM students would be to focus on the task at hand and to be the very best that you can be every day. A commitment to the best grades you can muster while being as well rounded as possible will make you yet another successful Auburn graduate,” Oliver said