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August 1996 to November 2004, he served as General Counsel and Secretary of Braun Consulting, Inc., a publicly traded information technology and business consulting company headquartered in Chicago. Braun Consulting recently was acquired by and merged into Fair Isaac Corporation. Prior to joining Braun Consulting, Ostendorf was in private law practice as a partner in the law firm of Cage Hill & Niehaus, P.C., in Houston, Texas, where his practice was concentrated in the areas of bankruptcy, bankruptcy litigation, and business transactions.
Steven R. Valentine, ’82, was quoted in the July 21, 2005, edition of USA Today commenting favorably on President Bush’s nomination of Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Rick served with Judge Roberts in the George H.W. Bush Administration at the U.S. Department of Justice. Rick was Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division, while Roberts was Deputy Solicitor General. Rick is a partner at Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds LLP, Washington, D.C.
Michael E. Williams, ’82, was appointed to the Executive Committee of Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis. Williams is the Managing Partner and a member of the Executive Committee of Krieg DeVault, LLP. He devotes his practice primarily to general corporate law, antitrust and trade issues, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and financial institution matters. He is also a member of the Boards of Directors for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and The Southeastern Program of Recreational Team Sports, Inc.
Williams has previously served on the Boards of Directors of the Indianapolis Economic Development Corporation, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, the Corporate Community Council and Prevent Child Abuse, Indiana.
Hon. G. Michael Witte, ’82, Dearborn Superior Court, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, was recently elected chairman of the ABA National Conference of Specialized Judges (NCSCJ).
Judge Witte has been an active member of the conference since 1991. The ABA NCSCJ is the organizational home to judges of limited and special jurisdiction across the country. Judge Witte was first elected judge of the Dearborn County Court in 1984. In 2000 he became judge of the Dearborn Superior Court. He served as Judicial Fellow for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from 1995-98. He currently serves on the Indiana Commission on Courts. Judge Witte also serves as faculty at The National Judicial College where he teaches traffic court courses. In addition, he frequently teaches on behalf of NHTSA, the Indiana Judicial Center and the American Bar Association.
Craig M. McKee, ’83, partner in the Terre Haute, Indiana law office of Wilkinson Goeller Modesitt Wilkinson & Drummy LLP, began his three-year term as the President of the National Cathedral Association’s Board of Trustees in November. This is the first time in the 106-year history of the National Cathedral Association, that its president is not a Washington, D.C. area resident. The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd, dean of Washington National Cathedral, is enthusiastic about Mr. McKee’s leadership, saying “Craig’s dedication to the Cathedral’s
IN MEMORIAM
NANCY SMITH
Nancy L. Smith, a long-time employee of the law school who spent many years working for the Clinic, passed away on June 29, 2005. Professor Mary Wolf has fond memories of working with Smith in the Clinic and of seeing her at a recent Clinic reunion event.
“As the central contact person for the clinic Nancy became the key person for all students and clients of the clinic over the years,”
says Wolf. “One of Nancy’s greatest attributes was her deep concern and care for our students, clients, and faculty and her professionalism. She was one of the most loyal persons I have
ever known. She returned to the clinic for our reunion in the Spring of 2004 and shared many stories and laughs with former students and faculty.”
Clinic faculty remember Smith as “instrumental” in making the clinic what it is today. Smith also had a direct family connection to the law school since her daughter, Darlene Dayton, graduated from the school in 1992.
Smith obtained a Bachelors degree in General Studies and was working on her Masters in Social Work. She retired from the university in 2002 and recently worked for the Indiana Department of Health. She is survived by three children:
Deborah Bouchie, Darlene (Thomas) Dayton, ‘92, David Smith; two brothers, Randall Miller, Vernon Miller; and three grandchildren, Christine Bouchie, Nicole Bouchie, and Stephanie Smith.
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mission is extraordinary. His past experience as regional leader for Southern Indiana and as NCA Vice President for Membership will serve us well. We are thrilled that he will lead the Board of the National Cathedral Association.”
Kathy J. Strahm, ’85, has been named national coordinator of the NCAA Softball Umpire Improvement Program. Strahm has served as a regional coordinator for the program since its inception in 2000. She also was a member of the umpiring crew at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, which was the inaugural appearance of the sport of softball in the Olympics.
Paul D. Fredrick, ’87, has joined the Tokyo office of Vinson &
Elkins LLP. His practice involves the representation of clients in international mergers and acquisitions, energy matters and project development and finance transactions. For the past seven years, Fredrick served as General Counsel for ITOCHU Oil Exploration Co. in Tokyo. He has also worked for major law firms in San Francisco, Honolulu and Tokyo.
Judy L. Woods, ’87, is a partner at Bose McKinney & Evans.
She was recently appointed a member of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission is the highest ecclesiastical court in the denomination. It hears and decides appeals from the Permanent Judicial Commissions of approximately 180 Presbyteries and 11 Synods in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) and hears and decides direct cases at the General Assembly level under the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The cases and appeals are both remedial or adminis- trative matters and disciplinary cases. A member of her firm’s Litigation and Appellate Groups, she handles complex commercial litigation, including class actions, antitrust, shareholder disputes, ERISA, securities and other business disputes. Woods is the author of numerous articles on the UCC and civil litigation, and the author of three volumes of the Indiana Practice series published by West. She serves on the Panel of Neutrals for large and complex commercial cases for the American Arbitration Association and for the International Center for Dispute Resolutions.
1990s
Stephenie LeMay-Luken, ’92, has announced she plans to campaign for judge of Superior Court 5. She is currently Hendricks County Chief Deputy Prosecutor. LeMay-Luken was recently named president of the Hendricks County Bar Association.
Kristina L. Lynn, ’92, was named Wabash County chief deputy prosecutor. She will serve the Wabash Superior Court, including almost all misdemeanors and some Class D felonies.
The work will be part-time, as she will continue her private practice as a member of Lynn & Stein, PC. She and her husband, Bob, and their three children live in Roann, IN.
Sarah L. Nagy, ’92, represented death row inmate Art Baird whose death sentence was commuted to life in prison by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels in August 2005.
Mark Smith, ’92, has announced he plans to campaign for judge of Superior Court 4. Smith is currently Henricks County Magistrate. Before that he practiced law in Plainfield and was a public defender in Hendricks Superior Court 1 under Judges Mary Lee Comer and Robert Freese. He is also a graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
Don R. McGuire, Jr., ’93, was elected general counsel for Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company and the Pharmacists Life Insurance Company. In 2001, he was named general counsel for Pro Advantage Services, Inc., PMC Quality Commitment, Inc., and Pharmacists National Insurance Corporation. He was then named assistant general counsel for Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company and Pharmacists Life Insurance Company in 2003. He resides in Algona, Iowa with his wife Kathy. They have three children.
Lynn M. Yates, ’93, is currently living in Basel, Switzerland and has been practicing Indiana law there since August 2003.
Yates’ spouse works for Roche and their two children are in 8th and 9th grade at the International School of Basel. She keeps in touch with her Hoosier clients via e-mail and has an office in Indianapolis with staff to assist with her practice which focuses on small business issues, estate planning and administration.
A. Scott Chinn, ’94, left his position as counsel to Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson to become a partner in the Indianapolis law firm of Baker & Daniels. Chinn had been with the Mayor’s office since 2000.
Charles R. O’Keefe, ’94, has rejoined Sommer Barnard Attorneys, PC as Of Counsel. He is a member of the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group. He was an attorney with Sommer & Barnard from 1994-1996 and most recently was a partner at the firm of Davis & Kuelthau, S.C. in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Thomas A. Hardin, ’96, a partner with the law firm of Shine
& Hardin LLP in Fort Wayne has been appointed by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to serve on the Probate Code Study Commission for a two-year term. He practices in the areas of
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estate planning, probate administration, real estate, and government and administrative law.
Vicki J. Wright, ’98, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Membership in The Fellows is limited to one-third of one percent of the lawyers in each state, and one must be a member of the American Bar Association to qualify for membership. Nominees are selected by Fellows in each jurisdiction and then elected by the Board of the Foundation. Fellows’ contributions support the research work of the Foundation. This research is among the most prestigious in the United States and is highly regarded inter- nationally. Wright is a senior attorney at Krieg DeVault, LLP, a registered mediator in the State of Indiana and an active member of the American Bar Association’s Environment, Energy & Resources Section.
Eric J. Essley, ’99, announces that his son Maxwell Essley was born on April 7, 2004. Essley is married to IU Kelley School of Business graduate Amy Pomeranz Essley.
Brad Schulz, ’99, has joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP as an associate in the firm’s Indianapolis office. He practices in the Labor and Employment Law Department. Schulz serves as a board member for Indy Reads, an organization that is dedicated to eliminating adult illiteracy in Marion County, IN.
2000s
Thomas J. DeRue, Jr., ’00, has served as Legislative Affairs Director to Mayor Bart Peterson since May of 2004. He had previously practiced in Real Estate and Governmental Affairs law at Bingham McHale. While at Bingham McHale, DeRue also served as an attorney to Speaker of the House B. Patrick Bauer.
Kari H. Halbrook, ’00, is Of Counsel at Ice Miller practicing in asbestos and other products liability litigation. She is also a volunteer for the Indiana chapter of the Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization.
The Women and the Law Division of the Indianapolis Bar Association awarded Deborah J. Daniels the 2005 Antoinette Dakin Leach Award on October 11th. Daniels began her legal career after graduating cum laudefrom the Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis in 1977. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed her to one of the highest positions in the United States, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice. In that position, she directed the primary research and grant-making arm of the Department of Justice. Her responsibilities included several functions directly related to the nation’s response to the September 11th attack on the U.S., and the nation’s ability to detect, prevent and respond to future terrorist acts. She stepped down from the position in 2005. Daniels, who is the sister of
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, is currently a partner at Krieg DeVault LLP. She previously served as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and as Chief Counsel at the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
Among her accomplishments are establishing the first Child Advocacy Center for child abuse victims in Indiana while working as a prosecutor in Marion County, and serving as director of the national “Weed and Seed” neighborhood revital- ization program. She now serves on the Council for Excellence in Government, a national organization based in Washington, D.C., that works to improve the performance of government at all levels. Past recipients of the Antoinette Dakin Leach award are:
Hon. Betty Barteau, ’65; Joan Fullam Irick, ’78; Hon. Jane Magnus-Stinson, ‘83; Ann DeLaney; Kristin G. Fruehwald, ’75;
Mary Y. Marsh, ’74; Francina A. Dlouhy, Myra Selby, Pamela Carter, ’84; Shirley Shideler, ’64; Hon. Sarah Evans Barker;
Virginia Dill McCarty, ’50; and Hon. V. Sue Shields.
Antoinette Dakin Leach became one of the first women to be admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1893; she was also a leader in national and local suffragist movements. Every year, the Women and the Law Division gives this award to an outstanding female attorney who has assumed roles of leadership within the Indianapolis legal community.
Deborah J. Daniels is shown with Judge John Tinder and Kerry Blomquist, ‘90, chair of the Women and the Law Division.
DEBORAH J. DANIELS, ’77 RECEIVES ANTOINETTE DAKIN LEACH AWARD
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Catherine Michael, ’00, recently joined the firm of Hollingsworth Jocham & Zivitz, LLC. The firm specializes in family law and employs six alumnae of the law school. Michael, who concentrates her practice on educational dispute issues, is a member of COPPA (Council for Parent Attorneys and Advocates) as well as the Indianapolis Bar Association.
Boris Umansky, ’00, has recently become an associate with the firm of Davis McGrath LLC in Chicago, Illinois. He practices primarily in the areas of intellectual property law and commercial litigation. Umansky also serves as co-vice chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s YLS Intellectual Property Committee. Prior to joining Davis McGrath LLC, he worked for two years as a Trademark Examining Attorney with the U.S.
Patent & Trademark Office.
Ashley T. Hinder, ’01, practices law at the Indianapolis firm of Hume Smith Geddes Green & Simmons, LLP. She reports spending her free time spoiling her animal companions.
Jason M. Schiesser, ’01, announces the birth of his son.
Schiesser is an associate at Baker & Daniels and is married to IU Kelley School of Business graduate Lindsey Schiesser.
Dori Wood, ’01, has joined the firm of Hollingsworth Jocham
& Zivitz. The firm specializes in family law and employs six alumnae of the law school.
Elizabeth B. Howard, ’02, has been with the law firm of O’Hara Spradley, P.A., since graduating in 2002. She has developed a practice focusing on litigation, insurance defense, construction, class actions, products liability, toxic torts, personal injury, corporate, and commercial law. Much of her time is devoted to the defense of construction defects claims involving mold.
Laura A. Chubb, ’03, joined Amin Law, LLC, a Chicago based legal practice specializing in FDA ,FTC, USDA, U.S. Customs and related regulatory matters. Chubb is a registered patent attorney with the USPTO and licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois and federal courts nationwide.
Cara Schaefer Wieneke, ’03, has joined the firm of Hollingsworth Jocham & Zivitz. The firm specializes in family law and employs six alumnae of the law school.
Glen M. Kellett, ’04, has joined the Barnes & Thornburg LLP office in Indianapolis. Kellett will practice in the Intellectual
Property Department.
Heather Aislynn Johns, ’04, has relocated to Jacksonville, FL where she accepted a position with Fidelity National Financial as Title Insurance Claims Counsel in the Jacksonville Regional Claims Center.
Rick Thackeray, ’04, has been named an Assistant Attorney General with the Maine Office of the Attorney General. He works in the Health and Human Services Division, focusing his practice in the areas of Medicaid rulemaking and administrative adjudication.
David A. Wong, ’04, has joined the Barnes & Thornburg LLP office in Indianapolis. Wong will practice in the Intellectual Property Department.
Jayna Cacioppo, ’05, joined the firm of Sommer Barnard Attorneys PC as a member of the Litigation Practice Group. She received her B.S. from Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service in 1998. Cacioppo worked as a law clerk for the Indiana Federal Community Defenders and was a Certified Legal Intern at the Indiana University Criminal Defense Clinic.
Brian Powers, ’05, joined Sommer Barnard Attorneys, PC as an associate, effective in August 2005. He is a member of the firm’s Business Law Practice Group and will practice from the firm’s Northside office.
ALUMNI HONORED AT ANNUAL ISBA MEETING
At the Indiana State Bar Association’s annual meeting on Friday, October 21, 2005 several alumni assumed positions in the ISBA’s leadership. Douglas D. Church, ‘70 became vice president, (he will become president-elect in 2006 and president in 2007). John R. Maley, ‘88 was appointed counsel to the president by James W. Riley Jr., the new president of the ISBA.
Karen R. Orr, ‘89 of Lafayette, Amy K. Noe, ‘00 of Richmond, and W. Randall Kammeyer, ‘92 of Fort Wayne all joined the Board of Governors.
Numerous other alumni received awards from the ISBA.
Deborah L. Farmer, ‘83 was honored with a presidential citation for her service and dedication by Clyde D. Compton, immediate past president. Michael J. Hebenstreit, ‘77 and Harlan H.
Hinkle, ‘61 were named to the General Practitioner Hall of Fame.
Hon. William J. Hughes, ‘80 received the 2005 Outstanding Judge Award for his service to the Young Lawyers Section of the ISBA. Kathy A. Lee, ‘87 received the Women in the Law Achievement Award for her work in the medical malpractice legal field, and Hon. Margret G. Robb, ‘78, Judge, Indiana Court of Appeals, received the Women in the Law Recognition Award for her success in dealing with domestic violence.
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Jhon Sanchez, originally of Colombia, Hwang Sungyoul of South Korea, and Zhao Zhidongof China gained admission to the J.D. Program at IU Law—
Indianapolis and are currently working towards their J.D. degrees. Chatchawal Horayangkuraof Thailand was accepted to George Washington University School of Law in Washington D.C., where he expects to earn his second LL.M. degree in 2006.
Our first domestic graduate of the LL.M.
Program, James Utterback, entered the Health Law, Policy and Bioethics track seeking to expand his ability to provide counsel in a broader range of healthcare legal matters. After completing his degree, Mr. Utterbackorganized HawthornLeCompte Consulting, LLC, which provides healthcare consulting for long-term care issues. Mr. Utterback notes, “With Medicaid already providing the funding for 60% of nursing home residents, it is critical to find ways to improve financial performance and, at the same time, improve the quality of care. My LL.M. has positioned me to help do both.”
International LL.M. graduates are eligible to apply to U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) for an Optional Practical Training (OPT)
extension to their student visas. The OPT program allows graduates to remain in the United States an additional 12 months to obtain employment and training related to their field of study. The majority of our international LL.M. graduates take advantage of the OPT program to broaden their educational experience.
Sarah Bitomskyof Australia accepted a position with Vernon J. Petri & Associates, a medical malpractice firm in Indianapolis.
Carolina Melean Morilloof Bolivia was
hired by Marion County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Ayers to work as a law clerk and occasionally as court reporter. Edita Ubartaiteof Lithuania has taken a legal position with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation in Indianapolis.
Three judges in the Indiana Court of Appeals extended Summer 2005 internship offers to LL.M. graduates.
Sabrina Salewskiof Germany interned for Judge John Baker, as did Yu Mengtaoof China. Ms. Salewskialso accepted part- time summer employment with Barnes &
Thornburg LLP in Indianapolis. Xavier Chabeufof France interned for Judge Patricia Riley over the summer. Chen Jo- Yuof Taiwan accepted an invitation to intern in Judge Riley’s chambers for the Fall Semester 2005. Kamila Mateevaof Kyrgyzstan interned for Judge L. Mark Bailey through June, and then returned to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where she and fellow graduate, Nurzat Myrsalievaof
Kyrgyzstan, currently teach law at American University—Central Asia.
Many graduates of the LL.M. Class of 2005 sought jobs in other U.S. cities. Monica Effio of Panama recently accepted a position with Motherway & Napleton of Chicago, Illinois. Previously, Ms. Effio worked as a real estate legal specialist with the Law Office of Carlos M. Rodriguez in Lombard, Illinois. Yu Hengliof China obtained a position as a legal assistant in the Law Office of Joe Zhenghong Zhou &
Associates, PLLC, in Queens, New York.
Kaveri Kumarof India is employed by the Chugh Firm in Los Angeles, California.
Ms. Kumar reports that the Chugh Firm is based in Bangalore, India, and maintains law offices in Los Angeles and Santa Clara, California, as well as in New Jersey.
Vladimir Cebovicof Serbia has obtained a part-time legal position at a law firm in
San Diego, California. Lynne Songof China joined Ice Miller’s Chicago, Illinois office as an Intellectual Property paralegal.
Ms. Song’s efforts will also help with Ice Miller’s expansion in the Asian legal market. Ms. Song reports “Life in Chicago is terrific!”
Several international LL.M. graduates left the U.S. to pursue employment or additional education abroad. Cui Jipeng of China has joined the law firm of Lehman, Lee & Xu. Mr. Cui will remain in the law firm’s headquarters in Beijing, China, for a few weeks before moving to his permanent position in the firm’s Shanghai office where “[l]awyers from countries all over the world work together.”Yu Yongqiangof China is currently working at the Hong Kong offices of the British law firm Slaughter &
May as part of a lawyer exchange
agreement with his employer in China, Jun He Law Offices. Mr. Yu’sresponsibilities will focus on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets for six months in Hong Kong; then he will spend three months at Slaughter & May’s law office in London.
Thereafter, Mr. Yuwill resume his duties as a senior associate with Jun He Law Offices in Shenzhen, China.
Gao Zhenof China has returned to Beijing, China to complete a Master of Laws (LL.M.) at Renmin University.
Franck Litzler of France is currently completing an LL.M. in Professional Assets degree at Dauphine Management
University of Paris, France. Mr. Litzler reports, “I would never have been able to enter this University had I not studied at IU Law—Indianapolis.” During the summer, Young-Chul Kimof South Korea accepted a part-time professorship at a law school in South Korea.