ergo, Fall/Winter 2025

News for alumni and friends of Indiana Law

Fall/Winter 2025

In this issue:

3L earns prestigious Skadden Fellowship

The Skadden Fellowship Foundation announced this week that 3L Jayden Boudreau is one of only 34 law students from across the country—and the only one from an Indiana law school— that has been selected as a 2026 Skadden Fellow, one of the most prestigious honors in public interest law.

The award will support Boudreau’s innovative ACLU LGBTQ & HIV Project, focused on protecting the rights of queer and transgender youth in school settings through legal advocacy and systemic policy engagement. He will spend two years in New York City, working at the national headquarters of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Lowell E. Baier: 1940-2025

Over a remarkable 51-year career, Lowell Baier moved with uncommon ease between professions—attorney, entrepreneur, advocate, historian, and author—yet every path he pursued seemed to guide him inevitably toward a life defined by service, scholarship, and conservation.

Metz, Pope, Wilson presented Distinguished Service Awards

Three alumni of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law were honored with Distinguished Service Awards Sept. 25, in concert with the Law School’s fall Alumni Board meeting.

Matthew Metz ’19, Delanie Pope ’93, and Hannah E. Wilson ’22 each received the award, which was established in 1997 to recognize graduates of Law School who have distinguished themselves in service to their communities and the school in ways far exceeding traditional business, professional, and civic duties.

“The Law School is proud to present Distinguished Service Awards to three of our outstanding alumni,” said Indiana Law Dean Christiana Ochoa. “Matt, Delanie, and Hannah have each represented our school and the legal profession with skill and integrity and a consistent ethos of service. I’m particularly proud to see two of our more recent alumni receive this award, a testament to how quickly our graduates are making a difference in their respective communities.”

Metz has built a career in public service and leadership in law, government, and community engagement. After earning his law degree and Master of Public Affairs from IU’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Metz joined the U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office, where he’s since risen through the ranks to become acting Deputy Assistant Director of the office.

Pope is a Bloomington native but has spent the past 22 years of her professional career improving access to justice for Michigan’s children and families. She has been a key member of Michigan State University’s Chance at Childhood Law and Social Work Clinic for two decades. Pope has helped develop and grow the clinic, which is an innovative interdisciplinary model with a mission to “promote and protect the well-being of children and families through integrated social work and law education and advocacy.”

Wilson is an attorney at Adams Landenwich Lay PLLC in Louisville, where she practices general civil litigation with a focus in the areas of employment, business, property, civil rights, and personal injury law. Before law school, she was actively involved in grassroots politics for 12 years, building a reputation as a tenacious advocate for the underserved and disadvantaged populations. In the three short years she’s been practicing, Wilson has already been recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers as a rising star in the Kentucky legal community. Wilson also maintains strong ties to the Law School, where she serves as president of the school’s Young Alumni Steering Committee.

Orenstein to receive 2026 John Henry Wigmore Award for Lifetime Achievement

Professor Aviva A. Orenstein, the Karen Lake Buttrey and Donald W. Buttrey Chair, has been named the recipient of the 2026 John Henry Wigmore Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The John Henry Wigmore Award, presented by the Evidence Section of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), honors individuals whose careers have made exceptional contributions to the field of evidence law. Previous recipients include leading scholars in evidence whose work has shaped teaching, scholarship, and practice.

“The AALS Evidence Section takes great pleasure in bestowing the 2026 John Henry Wigmore Award for Lifetime Achievement on Professor Aviva Orenstein of Indiana University Maurer School of Law,” said James Steiner-Dillon, associate professor at the University of Akron School of Law and evidence section chair.

“The award is presented to evidence scholars who have made leading contributions to the understanding of the proof process, or to the administration and reform of the rules of evidence and the process of proof, or both. Professor Orenstein easily qualifies. We are delighted to recognize Professor Orenstein’s distinguished career as an exceptional scholar and a generous teacher and mentor.”

Many of Orenstein’s colleagues submitted nominations on her behalf. She “stands out as one of the field’s most influential and respected figures,” said one nominator.

Professor Yvette Butler has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Derrick A. Bell, Jr. Award, the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Minority Groups announced Dec. 12.

The award recognizes individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to legal education, the legal profession, and social justice. Named for pioneering legal scholar and civil rights advocate Derrick A. Bell, Jr.—the first tenured African American professor at Harvard Law School and the “grandfather” of a critical race theory—the award honors scholars whose work reflects Bell’s enduring influence.

“Professor Butler’s commitment to advancing racial justice and elevating the voices of marginalized communities embodies the highest ideals of our profession,” said Dean Christiana Ochoa. “Her work reflects the courage, clarity of purpose, and unwavering advocacy that defined Derrick Bell’s legacy. We are immensely proud to see her recognized with this award and look forward to the continued impact she will undoubtedly make.”

Cate appointed to 23andMe Research Institute Privacy Advisory Board

Indiana University Maurer School of Law Distinguished Professor Fred H. Cate, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on information privacy and security law, has been appointed as an inaugural member to the newly formed Privacy Advisory Board of the 23andMe Research Institute, a leading nonprofit medical research organization focused on advancing genetic and health discoveries.

The appointment cements the Law School’s position as a global leader at the intersection of law, data governance, and privacy.

The new Privacy Advisory Board comprises a select group of leading experts in health data privacy, data ethics, and consumer advocacy, including Cate; Peggy Bodin, chief privacy officer at HCA Healthcare; and Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.

The board will provide strategic guidance to ensure the responsible stewardship of member data, helping to shape the organization’s privacy policies and ethical frameworks in the evolving digital and genomic landscape.

Ashley Ahlbrand elected secretary of the American Association of Law Libraries

Ashley Ahlbrand, Associate Director for Public Services and Adjunct Lecturer in Law at the Jerome Hall Law Library, has been elected Secretary of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL).

Her three-year term will run from July 2026 through July 2029.

Ahlbrand’s election by AALL’s more than 3000 members follows a highly competitive national selection and voting process. As Secretary, she will play a key leadership role in advancing AALL’s mission to support and advocate for legal information professionals across academic, firm, court, and government libraries.

“This is honor is a testament to Ashley’s leadership, scholarship, and dedication to the profession,” said Susan deMaine, director of the Jerome Hall Law Library. “Her service in this national role will further strengthen Indiana University’s longstanding reputation for excellence in law librarianship.”

Members of the Class of 1975 returned to Bloomington to celebrate their 50th reunion.

The Law School hosted the 21st Annual Kevin and Dianne Brown Students and Alumni Networking Dinner on Saturday, October 4, at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. This annual tradition celebrates the ongoing journeys of its outstanding students, faculty, and alumni. Gerry Williams '95 served as the keynote speaker for the event, and former Admissions Dean Frank Motley was honored for his decades of service and mentorship.

Current students connected with alumni from around the country at the Kevin and Dianne Brown Students and Alumni Networking Dinner.

Distinguished Service Award recipients shared their stories of service during a panel discussion following the awards ceremony. The entire 1L class attends the event every fall.

John C. Bonifaz presented the Ralph F. Fuchs Lecture on October 22. Bonifaz addressed litigation and legal advocacy strategies for defending American democracy and the United States Constitution at this critical moment in our history.

Dozens of members of the Law School community participated in the Monroe County Habitat for Humanity Build. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni came together to help build a home for a local family. Thanks to Carol Seaman and Cassie Fitzwater for their efforts in making the day a success.

Faculty news

Read In the media for faculty quotes and op-eds in state and national media.

Cindy Cho's "Climate Prosecution as Climate Regulation" was published by The Northwestern University Law Review Online. She was appointed to the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit—a panel of private attorneys appointed to represent indigent defendants in criminal appeals—for a two-year term, and has been invited to speak at the next annual meeting of the Judicial Conference of the Seventh Circuit, in Chicago, as part of a panel on federal sentencing. Cho also authored "When an unnatural heat wave kills, has Big Oil committed murder?" for the Los Angeles Times.
Yvonne Cripps published Law and the Protection of Democracy: Essays in Honor of Alfred C. Aman Jr. The book features contributions by Profs. Dan Cole, Jay Krishnan, Aviva Orenstein, Lauren Robel, and Elisabeth Zoller. Contributors also include Carol Greenhouse, the Hon. David Hamilton, and alumna Arantxa Recarte.
Charlie Geyh served as the Day-Pitney visiting scholar at the University of Connecticut earlier this spring, where he delivered a lecture on judicial ethics, Supreme Court legitimacy, and the future of the rule of law.
Leandra Lederman published the fifth edition of Understanding Corporate Taxation (Carolina Academic Press) with the University of Wisconsin’s Emily Cauble.
Donna Nagy was an invited participant in Yale Law School’s Center for the Study of Corporate Law’s Spring Roundtable on April 11. She participated April 25 in Columbia University Law School’s Program in Law and Economics Roundtable Discussion on Private Markets & Asset Management. She was quoted in a recent MarketWatch article, “Can a president break insider-trading laws? Trump’s Truth Social post ignites fierce debate.”
Jenn Oliva authored "How artificial intelligence controls your health insurance coverage" for The Conversation.
Victor Quintanilla spoke on a panel for the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice in April, which recently held a 2025 Law School Conference on The Role of Law Schools in Addressing Legal Deserts. The panel he spoke on was entitled, “Technology and Access to Rural Justice.”
CJ Ryan spoke with The Atlantic for a story on taxing university endowments
Steve Sanders has accepted the invitation of IUB’s Institute for Advanced Study to co-lead one of their “Bloomington Symposia” for next year, on the theme of “Free Speech and the University.” The purpose of these symposia is to “gather researchers and scholars, building upon the best cross-disciplinary thinking to promote the incubation of collaborative research inquiry.”
Deb Widiss co-authored "Antidiscrimination Advocates Should Welcome Thomas’s Overture" for BloombergLaw.
Cindy Williams has been invited to be part of a project for the World Economic Forum, its Global Future Council (interdisciplinary) on Climate and Nature Governance.

Student news

2L Brennan Cox was recognized for leading a new initiative to train IU Police and Public Safety officers in Deaf culture awareness and American Sign Language
2L Alli Koontz received the Najam Scholarship, supported by the Hon. Ted Najam, Jr.
Paige Purdy '25 received the Richardson, Tinder, Logan Public Service Scholarship. The scholarship is sponsored by Law School alumni and lifelong friends Jeff Richardson '77, the Hon. John Tinder '75, and Fred Logan '77