Alumni bios
Ben Adams
Brooklyn College, BA '17; Maurer School of Law, JD '20
thebenjaminadams@gmail.com
As a staff attorney for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, Ben is part of an office that provides the court with recommendations for cases involving predominantly self-represented litigants, the majority covering prisoner civil rights, habeas corpus, and immigration.
Ben received his J.D. from Maurer in 2020, where he was the editor-in-chief of the Indiana Journal of Law & Social Equality; participated in both the Community Legal Clinic and Federal Habeas Clinic; was a winner of the 2018 Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition; and served as a research assistant to Professors Aviva Orenstein, Jessica Eaglin, and Luis Fuentes-Rohwer. He also gained experience as a judicial extern during his 2L and 3L years. Before coming to law school, Ben spent 15 years as a culinary professional, working exclusively in plant-based cuisine.
Rammy G. Barbari
VMI, BA '09, Maurer School of Law, JD '14
rammy@pricebenowitz.com
Rammy G. Barbari brings significant professional experience in the legal, international business, and government sectors to Price Benowitz. He is barred in Virginia and D.C., as well as the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Rammy most recently served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Fairfax County, Virginia, where he managed all facets of criminal prosecution from indictment to trial – and tried dozens of jury trials and hundreds of bench trials. During his time as a prosecutor, Rammy handled a vast array of complex financial cases, and he uses that experience to help his clients obtain the best possible results in their matters.
Rammy is a proud graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. While in law school, Rammy worked as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Justice Steven H. David of the Indiana Supreme Court Following law school, Rammy served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Claude M. Hilton at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member to the Office of New Americans for the Governor of Virginia and is an active member of the National Arab American Bar Association. Rammy was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, and in his spare time enjoys reading, watching sports, and spending time with his family.
Stephen Bassett
spbassett0@gmail.com
Education: University of Texas at Austin, BA '17; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, JD '20
Steven focuses his practice on corporate finance and lending transactional work. His experience includes researching issues related to employment discrimination, employment protections, labor disputes, and practices. He also has experience preparing litigation materials and corporate documents such as employment policies and manuals.
He received his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law where he participated on the Student Advisory Board, Indiana Journal on Global Legal Studies, Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition, and served as research assistants to Professors David Gamage and Leandra Lederman.
Javier Becerra
javier.becerra89@gmail.com
Education: Georgia College and State University, B.S. 2012; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2017
Javier Becerra is currently a Senior Corporate Counsel at Global Payments. Before arriving at Global Payments, Javier was a Junior Counsel at Imerys and an Assistant General Counsel at Primerica.
Javier is a graduate of Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where he was a research assistant and Managing Editor of the Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality and won the best brief award in the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition. During law school, Javier served in multiple leadership roles, such as Director of the Pro Bono Immigration Project and Vice President of the Latino Law Student Association. Currently, Javier serves as President of the Georgia Hispanic Bar Association (former VP in 2018), President of the Atlanta Echelon chapter, committee member of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law Steering Committee, and serves on the Board of Directors for the YLD of the Georgia State Bar. Javier earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Georgia College and State University. Javier was recognized in the Latino Leaders Magazine Winter Edition 2020 as a “Top Latino Lawyer to Keep on the Watch” and was recognized in Atlanta Magazine’s Top 500 Most Powerful Leaders in Atlanta 2021.
Javier, a Cuban refugee, grew up in Gwinnett County and currently resides in Barrow County. Javier is an avid traveler who has traveled over twelve countries and enjoys spending his time with his friends and the outdoors. In his free time, Javier enjoys attending Atlanta United games and cheering on Real Madrid.
Kelsey Brandes
brandeskelsey@gmail.com
Education: University of Missouri–Columbia, B.S.B.A. 2017; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2020
Kelsey focuses her practice in Technology Transactions and Data Privacy. Her experience includes being an Intellectual Property and Information Technology Specialist on large merger and acquisition deals, drafting privacy policies and terms of conditions, negotiating licensing agreements, counseling clients on promotions law, and otherwise protecting client’s intellectual property through various methods including cease and desist letters, non-disclosure agreements, and content creation agreements.
She received her J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law where she was active in the Women’s Law Caucus, Business and Law Society, Intellectual Property Association, Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition, Protective Order Project, and the Viola J. Taliaferro Family and Children Mediation Clinic. She also served as an Admissions Fellow. In law school, she interned at the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Western District of Missouri. While in college, she was an active member of her sorority and pre-law fraternity.
In her spare time, she enjoys working out, spending time with family and friends, and exploring Kansas City’s food and drink scene.
Kasie Brill
kbrill@uschamber.com
Education: Michigan State University, B.A. 2008; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2012
Kasie Brill is the Vice President of Brand Protection and Strategic Initiatives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) and the Executive Director of the Global Brand Council. Kasie advocates for the protection of IP rights both online and in physical markets and designs public policy solutions to combat counterfeit goods.
Kasie led multiple public-private partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as national consumer awareness campaigns regarding counterfeit goods. Kasie advocates to the White House, Capitol Hill, and an array of U.S. Government agencies and contributes to the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee’s working groups. She is a frequent speaker at industry, U.S. government, and international government events and has been featured on major networks including ABC, NBC, and CBS, as well as published in CNN, the Brand Protection Professional as well as local news publications.
Recognizing the long-standing history of collaboration and partnership to combat intellectual property theft, enforce U.S. trade laws, and protect consumers, she was honored to receive a 2020 partnership award from the National IPR Center.
Jonathan Brown
jbrown@mayerbrown.com
Education: Indiana University, BS 2013; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 2016.
While in law school, Brown Jonathan focused on intellectual property. He competed in the Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Competition, served as a Research Assistant to Professor Janis, and was the Alumni Relations Chair for the Intellectual Property Association. He also participated in the D.C. Externship program, spending a semester working in the Office of the General Counsel for the Department of Commerce. At Mayer Brown, Jonathan works on intellectual property transactions and trademark prosecution matters. Prior to joining Mayer Brown, he was an Associate at PwC, where he consulted on tax and legal issues related to mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings. In his free time, Jonathan tries to play as much soccer, hockey, and golf as he can, and he loves spending time with his fiancée (whom he met at Maurer) and their dog, Blueberry.
Matthew Buck
mbuck@wilkinsonlaw.com
Education:Central Michigan University, BS 2017; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, JD 2020.
Matthew is a 2020 graduate of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and an associate at Wilkinson, Goeller, Modesitt, Wilkinson & Drummy in Terre Haute. Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Matthew chose Maurer because of its strong academic reputation and the collegial atmosphere it fosters in its student body. While at Maurer, Matthew participated in the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition; the Student Bar Association; the Faculty Hiring Committee; and the Health Law Society. He was also an admissions fellow for his second and third years of law school.
Matthew’s practice is founded in litigation and is primarily focused on criminal defense; child custody defense; and, medical malpractice defense. Matthew has acted as lead counsel in a number of bench and jury trials and has conducted extensive research in issues surrounding child custody and the relationship between parents and the Indiana Department of Child Services.
Matthew’s involvement in the community includes membership on the boards of directors for the Terre Haute Children’s Museum and the Hamilton Center Foundation. He is also a District Advocacy Leader for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Jules Cantor
jcantor@jonesday.com
Education:Northwestern University, B.S., Communication Studies and Legal Studies, cum laude, 2015; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2018.
Jules Cantor is an associate at Jones Day in Chicago who focuses his practice on complex litigation, with an emphasis on securities and shareholder litigation, as well as corporate investigation matters.
Jules has substantial experience with securities fraud class actions, shareholder derivative lawsuits, books-and-records demands, and investigations conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). He coordinates Jones Day’s publication efforts for its SEC Enforcement in Financial Reporting and Disclosure series and contributes to its Securities Litigation Year in Review.
Jules maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients in immigration and civil rights litigation. Through Jones Day’s Laredo Project, Jules has first-chaired a trial team that secured a grant of asylum and has successfully defended several clients' relief before the Board of Immigration Appeals. He also served as lead counsel at a bond hearing that resulted in a client's release from custody after a federal court granted the client's petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Additionally, Jules is a member of the Anti-Defamation League's Glass Leadership Institute cohort.
Kayleen Castelli
castelli.kayleen@epa.gov
Education: : Indiana University Kelley School of Business, BS 2012; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, JD 2015.
Kayleen works predominantly with the CERCLA statute by providing legal services for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Superfund sites in the mountain west. She is passionate about protecting human health and the environment via cleaning up these contaminated sites. She particularly enjoy seeing how her business background can be an advantage within the realm of environmental law and has special interests in constructing CERCLA liability cases against potentially responsible parties with complex corporate successor histories; recovering CERCLA response costs using both the bankruptcy and insurance systems; and facilitating the reuse and redevelopment of Superfund sites. The favorite part of Kayleen's job is digesting intricate legal, technical, or factual issues and then drafting complex legal instruments to allow the Agency’s visions to come to life and be implemented successfully.
While passionate about her job, Kayleen is also passionate about her life outside of the office. When she is not working, you can typically find her rock climbing and mountain biking. Her adventures have taken her from climbing every 14,000 foot peak in Colorado to rock climbing Half Dome in Yosemite National Park to mountain biking from the alpine meadows of the La Sal mountains down to the desert of Moab, Utah.
Matt Castelli
castelli.matthew@epa.gov
Education: University of Richmond, BS 2011; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, JD 2015.
Matt's work focuses on protecting human health and the environment, and much of it addresses violations of federal drinking water, clean water act, and waste regulations on Indian reservations. As an enforcement attorney with EPA, his caseload also includes oil spills, unpermitted dredge and fill activities, and leaking underground storage tanks. The remainder of Matt's job includes counseling EPA staff on federal Indian law issues across the 27 reservations in EPA Region 8 (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota). This includes jurisdictional issues, evaluating Tribes' applications for EPA to delegate environmental programs, and running EPA's National Indian Law Workgroup. The balance of his work is spent making EPA a better place as a leader of various inclusion and diversity efforts and the legislative advocate of our local union. In a former life, Matt worked on pro bono LGBT rights litigation and the first case in the nation to hold LGBT discrimination is illegal under the Fair Housing Act.
And while Matt strives to be outstanding in his field, I also love being out standing in a field. As a former backcountry guide, Matt thrives on outdoor adventure. He and his partner have hiked all of Colorado's 14'ers, canoed-sailed the Everglades, run marathons through wilderness areas, and climbed backcountry towers. They are grown-up vagabonds who built out a camper van during the pandemic (van-demic, anyone?) because what we do 5 to 9 is just as important to us as our 9 to 5.
Rachel Davakis
rdavakis@gmail.com
Education: The Ohio State University, BSBA 2007; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, JD 2011.
Rachel focuses her practice on federal employment law at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel’s Investigation and Prosecution Division in Washington, D.C. She works to protect federal government employees from prohibited personnel practices under 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b), including whistleblower retaliation, illegal hiring practices, nepotism, political influence, discrimination, and other violations concerning the federal merit system principles. Rachel conducts investigations, takes depositions, facilitates settlement agreements, and makes requests to federal agencies for compensatory damages and corrective, systemic, and disciplinary actions.
Rachel began her career in Washington, D.C. as an Attorney Advisor at the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of Appellate Operations, where she reviewed Title II and XVI disability appeals from all 13 circuits and participated in focused reviews of Administrative Law Judges to identify fraudulent practices.
While in law school, she served as a managing editor on the Indiana Law Journal, a board member on the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition Board, a legal writing and discourse teaching assistant for the Graduate Legal Studies Program, and an Office of Admissions Fellow. During law school, Rachel interned at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office in Indianapolis.
In addition to her professional work, Rachel serves on the Indiana University Maurer School of Law Young Alumni Committee and the Women’s Bar Association of D.C. Board of Directors, and represents low-income clients through the DC Bar Pro Bono Center.
Sarah Doty
srdoty88@gmail.com
Education: Richmond Community College, 2009; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2011; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, JD 2017.
Sarah is a first-generation college student who (post law school) discovered a passion for employment litigation. She transferred to Maurer after her first year at Carolina Law due to family circumstances. While in law school, Sarah externed with the Department of Justice Office of Enforcement Operations in DC, US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana, and the Monroe County Prosecutor's office. She then clerked for two years, first with Monroe Circuit Courts, then Judge Hamilton with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. After clerking, Sarah worked with Faegre Drinker as an employment litigation associate for nearly two years. When the opportunity arose to join the EEOC as a civil rights trial attorney, she jumped at the chance. At the EEOC, Sarah investigates and prosecutes employers who engage in systemic violations of civil rights in the workplace. She live in Indianapolis with her husband and two children.
Rochelle Gordon
rochelle.a.gordon@gmail.com
Education: Temple University, 2003; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, JD 2010.
Rochelle Gordon completed her bachelor’s degree in history in 2003 at Temple University in Philadelphia. In 2010, she obtained her Juris Doctor from Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Since then, her practice has always been focused primarily on criminal law. Rochelle has practiced at the Georgia Attorney General’s Office in the Post-Conviction Relief Section and as a staff attorney at the Georgia Court of Appeals.
Rochelle then began her work as an attorney with the Public Defender’s office in 2017 where she handles all serious felony cases. Rochelle currently works as the chief assistant public defender in the Flint Judicial Circuit and is the defense attorney assigned to represent clients in the Drug Court Program. Rochelle has held this role since she began with the Public Defender’s office in 2017.
Rochelle is a member of the Clayton County Bar Association, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers and serves on the local Alumni Board for Temple University. When she is not at work, Rochelle enjoys spending time with her sons Mason and Jude and watching soccer. She is a huge Liverpool Football Club fan and an Atlanta United Football Club fan.
Kenneth Guerra
kenneth.guerra@finnegan.com
Education: Indiana University, Microbiology B.S. 2016; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2019.
Ken’s practice focuses on complex patent litigation for the biopharmaceutical industry before U.S. district courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, primarily on Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) challenges to innovator manufacturers. Ken’s litigation experience covers all phases of litigation, including pre-litigation analysis, fact discovery, expert discovery, trial, and appeal.
In law school, Ken worked at Finnegan as a summer associate. He also was a Stewart Fellow in Southeast Asia, helping innovator pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers protect their global IP portfolios.
Ken also represents honorably discharged veterans on a pro bono basis before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He has been recognized on the Capital Pro Bono High Honor Roll.
Emily Guillaume
emilyguillaume@gmail.com
Education: Maryville College, B.A. 2015; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2020; Indiana University O’Neill School of Public & Environmental Affairs, M.P.A. 2020.
Emily assists clients in complying with environmental laws and regulations, including permitting and advising on the implementation of various environmental requirements. She also advises them in litigation matters and transactional matters, and performs due diligence.
She received her J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law where she participated in the Indiana Law Journal, Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition and Executive Board, the Environmental Law Society and the Public Interest Law Foundation. She also served as a research assistant to Prof. Gina-Gail Fletcher and was a member of the Pi Alpha Alpha Honors Society for Public Affairs.
Jenna Heaphy
jemheaphy@gmail.com
Education: The Ohio State University, B.A. 2013; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2019.
Jenna focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on government investigations and litigations under the federal False Claims Act (FCA). Her experience includes helping clients navigate the complex FCA landscape by conducting internal investigations, coordinating complex document production, and preparing clients for government interviews and depositions. She is also heavily involved in diversity initiatives and pro bono opportunities through the firm and community service organizations throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.
She received her J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a minor in educational policy studies through the Indiana University School of Education. At Maurer, Jenna was involved in and held leadership roles in the Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality and the Inmate Legal Assistance Project; she also participated in the Community Legal Clinic, the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition, and Outreach for Legal Literacy. Additionally, she was an admissions fellow. Jenna gained research and related experience through an externship with the United States Track and Field legal department, a judicial internship with Judge Stephanie K. Bowman, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Ohio, and through the summer associate program at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP.
Prior to attending law school, Jenna taught high school English and special education for three years in New Orleans through the Teach for America Program.
Zachary Heck
zachheck03@gmail.com
Education: University of Dayton, B.A. English & Philosophy 2007; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2014.
Zach’s practice focuses on privacy and data security. Specifically, Zach assists clients in the areas of privacy compliance, data governance and guidance in the aftermath of an information security event, including data breach. Zach has experience advising clients with respect to FTC investigations, federal privacy regulations such as HIPAA, FCRA, TCPA and GLBA, as well as state laws governing personally identifiable information. For his clients, he also provides regulatory analysis, risk management, policy development, training and audits. Zach speaks and writes regularly on cutting-edge data privacy and cybersecurity issues and is a certified information privacy professional in the fields of United States and European Union laws and regulations.
The Dayton Business Journal named Zach a member of the 2018 Forty Under 40 class of emerging leaders and the Dayton Bar Association recognized him as a 2018 Rising Star of the Bar. He is an adjunct professor of cybersecurity law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Wright State University, where he earned the 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award for Adjunct Faculty. He is active in several legal and community organizations and serves as Legal Advisor for the Centerville High School Mock Trial Team. In 2018, Zach was inducted in the Centerville Education Foundation’s Hall of Fame for his ten years of service to the Centerville community. In 2021, Zach graduated the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Dayton program, the fourth-oldest continuously operating community leadership program in the U.S.
Gustavo A. Jimenez
gustavo.jimenez@atg.in.gov
Education: University of California, San Diego, B.A. 2014; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2019.
Gustavo is a deputy attorney general in the Government Litigation Division of the Office of the Indiana Attorney General. Gustavo handles all stages of litigation and defends the state, its agencies, and its employees in a number of practice areas, including employment law claims, tort claims, and constitutional claims, in both state and federal court.
He received his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2019. During law school, Gustavo was as an admissions fellow, participated in a number of moot court competitions, and was a managing editor with the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies. Gustavo also gained practical experience by serving as a judicial extern for the Indiana Supreme Court and working as a law clerk for the City of Carmel’s legal department.
Noah Joseph
noah1066@hotmail.com
Education: Miami University, B.A. 1996; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2005.
Noah is the pro bono supervising attorney for Legal Aid of Western Michigan (LAWM). He came to Legal Aid in 2020, sixteen years after serving as an intern in the Muskegon office of Legal Aid during law school. His role is to coordinate pro bono attorney involvement in the work of serving people in LAWM’s 17-county service area, through attorney trainings, clinics, and the creation of projects to provide direct help where needed. His current focus is on expungement of criminal records as Michigan recently passed a very progressive new law.
After law school, Noah practiced law for four years in a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan. He practiced mainly family law, criminal law, municipal law, and juvenile law, in addition to property, environmental, intellectual property, personal injury, and bankruptcy. Noah had a brief stint living in Swaziland (now eSwatini) with the United State Peace Corps before moving into legal education, where he worked in graduate admissions and programs at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. After moving to Grand Rapids, he became the Program Director for the Legal Assistance Center, a legal self-help center.
While in law school, Noah served as the executive editor of the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, on the Moot Court Board, Environmental Law Society Board, and was a peer group advisor, among other things.
Brandon M. King
brmking16@gmail.com
Education: University of Cincinnati, B.A. 2012; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2015; Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M. 2016.
Brandon focuses on tax controversy and tax planning. Prior to joining the firm, Brandon was a law clerk for the Honorable Albert G. Lauber at the United States Tax Court (2016-2018). He also served as a Presidential Personnel Associate in the Obama administration’s Executive Office of the President (2015-2016), where he was the tax advisor on the vetting team for presidential nominations.
While at Maurer, Brandon participated in the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition, vice chaired the OUTlaw group, participated in the Indiana Legal Services Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, volunteered with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, and served as a research assistant to Professor Leandra Lederman. He also studied and researched abroad at Trinity College in Dublin during his 3L year.
Kyle Lawrence
klawrence@garanlucow.com
Education: Kyle is a partner/shareholder at Garan Lucow Miller P.C. (GLM). He is located in the firm’s Merrillville, Ind. office. GLM has seven additional offices in Michigan with the headquarters in Detroit. Kyle is licensed to practice law in Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. The majority of his practice focuses on insurance defense litigation. Specifically, Kyle has defended cases in the following areas: auto accidents, premises liability, medical malpractice, property damage, and general personal injury civil litigation. When not practicing law, Kyle enjoys spending time with his family and dogs, attending games at Wrigley Field to cheer on the Cubs, running the dunes, and traveling south.
Amelia (Amy) Linman
amelia.linman@gmail.com
Education: Illinois Wesleyan University, B.A. 2015; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2019.
Amy started her career at the Cook County State’s Attorney Office after graduating from Maurer in 2019. She started in the city branch court for the North side of Chicago prior to her current position in the citywide misdemeanor jury room. Her position entails several criminal trials each week.
While at Indiana University Maurer School of Law she participated in Outreach for Legal Literacy, Feminist Law Forum, Protective Order Project, LGBT Pro Bono Project, Dean’s Advisory Committee, Community Legal Clinic, and served as an Admissions Fellow.
John McMackin
jmcmack1@alumni.nd.edu
Education: University of Notre Dame, B.A. 2016; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2019.
John McMackin grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast before coming to Indiana for undergraduate and law school. While at Maurer he was involved in the Tenant Assistance Project, the Non Profit Legal Clinic, and the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies.
John is admitted to the bar in Mississippi and clerked for Chief Justice Michael Randolph of the Mississippi Supreme Court before clerking for Judge Wilson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In these roles John has served as a counselor, draftsman, editor, and consultant working on opinions, memoranda, and legislative budgeting.
He resides in Jackson, Mississippi, with his wife and daughter.
Tara Paul
tpaul@allenmatkins.com
Education: California State University, Fresno, B.A. 2007; Indiana University Maurer School of Law/O’Neill School of Public & Environmental Affairs, JD/MPA 2014.
Tara’s practice is focused providing regulatory and strategic advice on land use, environmental, and water law issues. Her experience includes complex litigation in water rights and groundwater contamination disputes, and she has counseled clients on issues arising under the California Sustainable Groundwater Sustainability Act (SGMA), Brown Act, Public Records Act, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). She also maintains an active pro bono practice focused on immigration law.
Tara received a joint JD/MPA degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and O’Neill School of Public & Environmental Affairs, where she participated in the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition, the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, and served as a research assistant and student manager at the Center for Constitutional Law and Democracy. She was also a Milton Stewart Fellow and a Research Fellow at Cambridge University’s Lauterpacht Centre for International Law where she studied natural resource revenues as a tool for facilitating peace agreements in post-conflict countries.
Justin R. Perez
j.perez0011@gmail.com
Education: St. John’s University, B.S. 2012; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2015.
Justin provides counsel on legal and regulatory impacts in the financial services sector. His experience includes providing analysis on transaction-level impacts, as well as advising on new rules and regulations from various regulators.
He received his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law where he participated in various student associations, the Disability Law Clinic, Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition, and worked with IU Student Legal Services.
Taylor Sample
taylor.sample@bassberry.com
Education: Lipscomb University, B.A. 2011; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2015.
Taylor focuses his practice on representing clients in government actions, investigations, and related litigation, particularly involving the False Claims Act, Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute. Taylor has assisted corporate clients with internal compliance assessments and internal investigations regarding regulatory compliance issues. Taylor is also an active participant in the firm’s pro bono initiatives, representing indigent clients who have been denied benefits under TennCare, as well clients denied their constitutional rights in Tennessee’s criminal justice system. Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Taylor served as a law clerk to the Honorable Sarah Evans Barker of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
Tony Schuering
aschuering@bhslaw.com
Education: University of Illinois at Springfield, B.A. 2016; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2019.
Tony’s practice is focused on civil litigation and municipal law. Tony primarily defends businesses, individuals, and units of local government in both state and federal courts from civil rights claims. He also serves as either primary or special counsel to units of local government throughout Illinois on matters ranging from general administration to advising on subsidized economic development projects to compliance with the Freedom of Information Act and other sunshine laws.
He received his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where he was a member of the Business & Law Society, Tax Law Society, and OWLS, as well as participating in the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition. Tony served as a research assistant to Prof. David Gamage, and spent part of his 3L year in Washington, DC as a law clerk for Senator Richard J. Durbin’s Judiciary Committee staff.
Leah Seigel
seigell@lei.org
Education: DePauw University, B.S. 2009; Arizona State University, M.Ed 2011; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2014.
Leah is a program officer in the community development division at Lilly Endowment Inc., an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937. Her portfolio includes oversight of the Endowment’s arts and culture grantmaking and work with the national philanthropic sector.
Prior to joining the Endowment in 2021, Leah was a litigator at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, where she focused on commercial and intellectual property disputes. Having been a 1L and 2L summer associate at B&T, Leah returned to the firm in 2016 after completing a two-year clerkship with the Honorable Mark Massa of the Indiana Supreme Court. During law school, Leah was a co-champion of the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition and served as senior managing editor of the Indiana Law Journal.
Leah is a 2009 graduate of DePauw University where she received a bachelor's degree in sociology and Spanish. She also earned a master of education from Arizona State University, which she pursued while serving as a corps member in Teach For America. Through TFA, Leah taught Kindergarten in the Glendale Elementary School District in Phoenix, Arizona.
Charles Shaw
charles.d.shaw@gmail.com
Education: James Madison University, B.A., B.B.A.; University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX, M.Ed.; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2014.
Charles has been practicing law with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office since graduating from Maurer in 2014. He has practiced in the Misdemeanor, Felony, Juvenile, Domestic Violence, and Asset Forfeiture Divisions of the office. At Maurer, Charles was actively involved in the Student Bar Association, the International Journal of Global Legal Studies, and Sherman Minton Moot Court Board. Charles is a member of the Houston Bar Association and National LGBT Bar Association, and is an active alumnus of Teach for America where he was a corps member in 2008.
Alex Thibodeau
athibodeau@fosterswift.com
Education: Depaul University, B.A., political science; minor, journalism; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2018 (Certificate in Rule of Law: Center for Constitutional Democracy).
Alex is originally from Farmington Hills, Mich. His Grand Rapids practice focuses primarily on general civil litigation, municipal/administrative law, contractual drafting, statutory interpretation and telecommunications. He is also the president of the Grand Rapids Bar Association's Young Lawyer Section and serves on the GRBA DEI Committee. In law school, he served as the chair of the Student Bar Association, notes editor for the Indiana Journal of Social Equality, and executive affiliate of the Center for Constitutional Democracy. Prior to his legal career, Alex worked in Chicago as a healthcare consultant and as an on-air journalist for WBEZ, Chicago's NPR affiliate station.
Jon Turpin
jturpin@lockelord.com
Education: Miami University, B.A. 2010; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2014.
Jon focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation. His practice focuses primarily on pharmaceutical patent actions under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. He represents pharmaceutical companies in all aspects of federal intellectual property litigation, including pre-litigation activities, Paragraph IV Certifications, filing, fact and expert discovery, claim construction, motion practice, pre-trial, trial, and post-trial phases.
Jon received his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law where he participated in the Mock Trial Competition, the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, the Tenant Assistance Project, and the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition.
Jon lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife, their son, and their two dogs, and he volunteers as a marine mammals diver at the Shedd Aquarium.
Aaron Vance
aaron.vance@dinsmore.com
Education: University of Louisville, B.S., magna cum laude, 2017; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2020.
Aaron focuses his practice on labor and employment litigation. His experience includes researching issues related to employment discrimination, employment protections, labor disputes, and practices. He also has experience preparing litigation materials and corporate documents such as employment policies and manuals.
He received his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law where he participated in the Student Bar Association, Indiana Law Journal, the Nonprofit Legal Clinic, Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition, and served as a research assistant to Prof. Ken Dau-Schmidt. He also gained research and related experience in non-profit leadership and management as the inaugural Lumina Foundation Law Scholar.
Lauren Violi
lvioli@iu.edu
Education: Loyola University Chicago, B.A., 2009; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D., 2012.
Lauren Violi returned to the Law School in 2019 as a director in the Career Services Office after practicing corporate, healthcare, and creditors’ rights litigation for six years at an Indianapolis law firm. Before graduating magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from Indiana Law in 2012, she served on the Indiana Law Journal, was involved in numerous extracurricular activities, summered at a firm, and interned in state and federal courts.
While in private practice, Lauren assisted with the firm’s recruiting efforts, conducted on-campus and on-location interviews, and chaired the Summer Associate Program. She has been an engaged Indiana Law alum since graduation, leading the Young Alumni Steering Committee and the Indianapolis chapter of the Maurer Recent Grads Association and mentoring law students and young lawyers. She remains active in the Indianapolis Bar Association, participated in the State Bar Association’s Leadership Development Academy, and volunteers with the Junior League of Indianapolis, Coburn Place Safe Haven, and Alpha Chi Omega.
Lauren is passionate about working with students and eager to continue serving Maurer by joining the CSO.
Ben Wade
ben.wade@atg.in.gov
Education: Wabash College, B.A. 2017; Indiana University Maurer School of Law, J.D. 2020.
Ben Wade is a deputy attorney general in the Government Litigation Section of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. His practice involves representing state agencies, officers, and employees in civil litigation involving civil rights claims, employment disputes, and tort claims.
Originally from the small town of Clayton, Ind., Ben graduated magna cum laude from Wabash College in 2017 with a B.A. in political science. He went on to earn his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2020 and was inducted into the Order of Barristers. During law school, Ben worked with clients at Student Legal Services and served on the executive boards of both the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition and the Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality. Prior to joining the OAG, Ben interned at a private Indianapolis firm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, and various entities in New Delhi, India as part of the Stewart Fellows Global Internship Program.
Laura Walda
laura-walda@lowndes-law.com
Education: Indiana University–Bloomington, B.A., 2004; Indiana University Maurer School of Law/O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, J.D./M.P.A., 2009.
Laura Walda is a shareholder in the firm’s commercial real estate practice area focusing on contract and lease negotiation and drafting, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, negotiation and structuring of credit facilities and review of title insurance matters. She also has experience in commercial litigation focusing on title insurance matters, landlord/tenant disputes and banking litigation. She is experienced in negotiation of cannabis-industry specific real estate matters. She is also licensed to practice law in the State of Montana. Laura is a proud Hoosier—Go Big Red!
