This week in the Law School
Congratulations to the recipients of our 2024-25 Teaching Awards: The Leon H. Wallace Teaching Award (the highest teaching honor the Law School awards) was presented to Prof. Jayanth Krishnan. Trustees’ Teaching Awards went to Profs. Valena Beety, Cindy Cho, Robert Downey, Gabrielle Goodwin, Andrew Hammond, Jenn Oliva, Aviva Orenstein, Steve Sanders, and Ryan Scott. Rafael Macía Briedis was honored with our Adjunct Teaching Award. Thank you to our student advisory committee, Samantha Jean, Nicholle Vandy, and Kate Leahey, for their work reviewing this year’s nominations.
Monday
How Government Built America
Noon - 1 p.m. in the DeLaney Moot Court Room
This discussion challenges growing anti-government rhetoric by highlighting the role government has played in partnering with markets to build the United States. In their new book, Sidney A. Shapiro and Joseph P. Tomain (father of our own Joseph A. Tomain) explore how markets can harm and fail the country, and how the government has addressed these extremes by restoring essential values to benefit all citizens.
Sidney Shapiro is the Frank U. Fletcher Chair in Administrative Law Professor of Law at Wake Forest Law, and is one of the country’s leading experts in administrative procedure and regulatory policy, and Vice President of the Center for Progressive Reform. Joseph P. Tomain is Dean Emeritus and Wilbert and Helen Ziegler Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, and a highly respected professor and scholar, with teaching and research interests in the areas of energy law, land use, regulatory policy, and contracts. This talk, with Professor Joseph P. Tomain, will be moderated by Professor Nicholas Almendares.
Labor and employment career panel
Noon - 1 p.m. in 125
Join Labor and Employment Law Society for a discussion with labor and employment law practitioners on various career paths in labor and employment law. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about the panelists' experiences in their practices to hear insights as to how to apply a passion for the practice area in a variety of fields. Panelists include Carita Austin '11, senior counsel, labor and employment, Cummins, Inc.; Emmanuel Boulukos '08, partner, Ice Miller; Sarah Bowers, associate general counsel, IU Health; Hannah Wilson '22, attorney, Adams Landenwich Lay, PLLC; Colleen Schade '20, labor and employment attorney, Barnes & Thornburg, LLP; Aaron Vance '20, labor and employment associate, Faegre Drinker.
Lunch will be provided.
Your Public Service Loan Forgiveness Action Plan
Noon - 1 p.m. in 124
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program enables employees working for qualified public service employers to achieve forgiveness of their federal Direct Student Loans after 120 monthly payments on a qualified repayment plan. During this on-campus workshop, Dr. Theresa Popp Braun, an Accredited Financial Counselor® and Certified Educator in Personal Finance® from AccessLex Institute®, will explain all the details of the PSLF program and Income-Driven Repayment Plans.
Food will be provided to students who RSVP for the event on Careernet.
LGBTQ+ Rights in Taiwan
8 - 9 p.m. in 213 and on Zoom
The LGBTQ+ Project is excited to host two influential LGBTQ+ organizations from Taiwan: The Taiwan Equality Campaign and Taiwan LGBT Family Rights Advocacy will speak about their work with the LGBTQ+ community and LGBTQ+ families in Taiwan.
Food will be provided for those attending in person who RSVP.
Tuesday
Bridge to Practice overview
Noon - 1 p.m. in 216
Join CSO to learn about the Bridge to Practice program. The Bridge to Practice Fellowship provides financial assistance to eligible graduates who secure unpaid volunteer positions with public interest organizations, government employers, or small firms post-graduation while they continue their job search. While hosts are not obligated to permanently hire their fellow, many employers do. CSO will explain.
IPA general body meeting and board elections
Noon - 1 p.m. in 120
General body meeting for Intellectual Property Association along with a vote on the 2025-26 board members.
RSVP by noon, March 31 for lunch
POP Presents: Compassion Fatigue
Noon - 1 p.m. in 124
Law school can be overwhelming, and compassion fatigue is real—so let’s talk about it. Learn how to recognize and combat burnout while enjoying food, coloring, and time with the JLAP therapy dogs and POP. Everyone is welcome to take a break, de-stress, and gain tools for maintaining well-being. Don’t miss this chance to recharge!
Sherman Minton Moot Court information session
Noon - 1 p.m. in the DeLaney Moot Court Room
Join the Executive Advocacy Board to learn about next year’s Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition. This is a school-wide appellate advocacy competition that most 2Ls participate in. Executive Board members and past competitors will share information about the process and benefits of participation. They will also discuss other advocacy opportunities run by the Moot Court Board, including trial competitions and Alternative Dispute Resolution competitions.
RSVP on CareerNet by 3/27 for pizza.
Wednesday
Ask a Former U.S. Attorney: A Candid Discussion with Zach Myers
Noon - 1 p.m. in 120
The Black Law Students Association and our Bradley Fellows Program will host a discussion with Zachary A. Myers, former top federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Indiana and longtime federal cybercrime prosecutor. Lecturer in Law and former federal prosecutor Cindy Cho '08 will moderate. Questions about the U.S. Department of Justice? Questions for the first Black person to serve as U.S. Attorney in Indianapolis? Questions about cybercrime? Questions about pursuing a future in any of it? They’re all welcome.
Clinics and practica call out
Noon - 1 p.m. in the DeLaney Moot Court Room
Join the faculty directors and instructors of various Law School clinics and practica to learn more about what participation in these experiential courses can offer you.
Bring your lunch.
Thursday
Business law course information session
Noon - 1 p.m. in 124
Join Business Law Society and Indiana Law business law professors Sarah Jane Hughes, Betsy Greene '82, William Henderson, Joshua Kubicki, and Mark Need '92 for an overview of the business law courses being offered next year. We’re excited to announce that this event is sponsored by Chapman and Cutler LLP—lunch will be provided!
IP Theory call-out meeting
Noon - 1 p.m. in 213
Call-out meeting to learn about the IP Theory journal and the application process.
Public interest course information panel
Noon - 1 p.m. in 121
Join Public Interest Law Foundation and various professors to hear about public interest-oriented fall course offerings for all students! PILF members will receive a PILF point. Lunch will be provided.
Graduate exam policies and procedures information session
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. in 216
Office of Graduate Programs and Global Engagement hosts this mandatory session for all graduate legal studies students who will take final exams for the first time this semester, as well as for those who have taken exams or attended the meeting last semester. Pizza will be provided, and we highly encourage you to attend so you are as prepared as you can be!
Lunch with Indiana Court of Appeals judges and attorneys
Noon in the Faculty Lounge (310)
The judges and attorneys participating in the Indiana Court of Appeals oral argument (item below) will have lunch with a small group of faculty and students.
Open to all students, but spots are limited.
RSVP on CareerNet
Appeals on Wheels: Court of Appeals of Indiana Oral Argument
1:45 - 2:45 p.m. in the DeLaney Moot Court Room
Traveling oral arguments, or Appeals on Wheels, take the Court of Appeals across Indiana to help Hoosiers learn more about the judiciary’s indispensable role in Indiana government. They also provide opportunities for Court of Appeals judges to meet and talk with citizens across the states in relatively informal settings.
Attendees will hear a real case, State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. v. DiPego et al., argued by real attorneys in real time. Following the oral argument, attendees may participate in an informal Q&A session with the judges and attorneys.
The panelists hearing the case are Judge Nancy H. Vaidik, Judge Paul D. Mathias '79, Judge Leanna K. Weissmann.
Attendees are asked to observe courtroom etiquette: Remove hats before entering the courtroom; stand when judges enter and leave the courtroom; turn off or silence cell phones before entering the courtroom; do not use phones while court is in session; no video, audio recording, or photography is allowed once court is in session; no food or beverages are allowed in the courtroom; refrain from speaking during the proceedings.
Friday
Thai New Year celebration
2 - 3 p.m. in 214
Experience authentic Thai cuisine and immerse yourself in Thai culture. Songkran, celebrated every year on April 13, marks the traditional Thai New Year with joy, food, and cultural exchange.
Sponsor International Student Association.
The Role of the Judiciary: A Roundtable with Federal and State Judges
2:30 - 4 p.m. in the Faculty Conference Room (335)
In advance of this evening's Sherman Minton Moot Court Finals, the finals judges—Chief Judge Diane Sykes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, U.S. District Judge Richard Young of the Southern District of Indiana, and Judge Alison Conlon of the Cook County (Illinois) Circuit Court, Chancery Division—will hold a roundtable and Q&A open to all students. Students with interests in judicial externships and clerkships are especially encouraged to attend.
Seating is limited.
RSVP on CareerNet
Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition Final Argument
5 - 7 p.m. in the DeLaney Moot Court Room
Join us for the final round of the annual Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition.
The year's case involves a robbery suspect who fled the scene, injuring a police officer, before being shot and killed by another police officer. This case is about the rules and application around the use of deadly force during a police encounter.
The distinguished panel hearing oral argument panel is Chief Judge Diane S. Sykes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit; Senior Judge Richard L. Young, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana; and Judge Alison C. Conlon, Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.
RSVP to attend in person or watch on our YouTube channel
Announcements
Pro bono hours reporting for the classes of 2025 and 2026 by April 1
Class of 2025 graduates must report their own cumulative pro bono hours by April 1 to be recognized at graduation. And Class of 2026 students should report their hours to be entered to win a Kaplan Bar Prep Course. Make sure to continue logging your pro bono hours on Tick this semester! Every hour counts. Check out the Access to Justice Program's website for more information!
BLS Inaugural Golf Outing: Get your tickets by April 2
Join Business Law Society for its inaugural Golf Outing on Friday, April 12 at noon at Cascades Golf Course! This 9-hole scramble is open to alumni, faculty, and students, with prizes for winners and fun on-course challenges. A tent with food and drinks will be available for all attendees, including non-golfers. Tickets are $40 and on sale now—don’t miss out! Purchase by Wednesday, April 2.
Opportunity for rising 2Ls and 3Ls: Become a Dean’s Writing Fellow by April 13
The legal writing faculty are seeking students who will be 2Ls or 3Ls in 2025-26 to be selected as Dean’s Writing Fellows. Successful candidates will receive a $1,500 scholarship per semester. The position description and application requirements are posted on CareerNet. The deadline is Sunday, April 13.
Faculty and Staff News
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Indiana Law Annotated is published Sundays during the school year with events and announcements for the coming week.
Submit announcements and faculty news to ila@iu.edu and event requests to our online tool by noon of the Thursday before publication. Entries may be edited for consistent presentation.