Andrea Ciobanu, Ciobanu Law PC
Your practice involves a lot of appellate advocacy. What do you like about it?
I love appellate law because it is a great intellectual exercise. Additionally, being a good appellate lawyer helps us to be better trial lawyers because it helps us spot issues, preserve the record and argue the law correctly. I learned that early on in my legal career from Judge Car Darden, Judge Melissa May, and Justice Frank Sullivan. When we do have the opportunity to engage in oral argument, before the Appellate Court or Supreme Court, or any other court, it is an amazing experience.
Where did you work before founding Ciobanu Law, P.C.?
I worked in a private law firm for a while where I gained experience in tort law. I worked at the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office in domestic violence, PCR, and sex crimes. I also worked at the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. My background is also in non-profit, as I have a Masters in Public Affairs with a concentration in law and non-profit, and I worked in the non-profit sector in various capacities. I wanted to merge the non-profit sector with my passion for civil rights, equal justice, and equal access to the law; that is the main reason I wanted to establish my own firm so I could practice in the areas that I had a passion for.
Why did you become an attorney?
I wanted to become a lawyer ever since I was a child. The study of law intrigues me, which is another reason I love appellate law because it is a great opportunity to study the law. I wanted to advocate for equal justice and equal access to the legal system, which is why I have an extensive practice in civil rights, where I primarily practice in federal court. I am also very passionate about deaf rights, so I learned American Sign Language and my goal was to advocate for equal access to the justice system. I wrote about that goal in the law school application, and to this day, I have an extensive ADA practice, which has also expanded to advocacy for the blind, and others that may have other mobility limitations, or the requirement of various accommodations, wherein the ADA or other access laws may be implicated. It is interesting now that sometimes I am contacted about ADA and deaf rights from individuals in other states regarding this topic.
Who were some of your female mentors or inspirations?
Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were both inspirations to me from a young age. In addition to my own goals, these amazing women inspired me to become a lawyer, which was significant for me because I am not only a first-generation lawyer, but a first generation law student. On a local level, there are so many that I admire and have mentored me that they are too numerous to mention each by name. Judge Tonya Walton Pratt, Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson, and Judge Doris Pryor, have inspired me and I always felt their support in federal court. Professor Fran Watson was a mentor to me while I was in law school. Kerry Hyatt Bennett was a mentor to me when I worked at the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. I have also been active within the ABA and I learned from lawyers and judges from around the United States, and local Judge Heather Welch would attend many ABA meetings and I enjoyed talking with and learning from her. Within the WLD, there are so many that have inspired me, but Judge Helen Marchal and Judge Therese Hannah both come to mind. No matter how busy they are, they always give their support and lend a listening ear. Through the Indiana State Bar Association’s Mentoring Program, Suzanne Katt was my mentor. She is retired now, but I am glad I met her early in my legal career. She really took the time to help me, explain the practice and so many important issues that you do not learn in a classroom and her mentorship was invaluable to me. I think a thread about all these women is that they are great legal professionals, but they truly care about people and that comes through in everything that they do.
What do you like to do outside of practicing law?
I love learning and studying languages. I have studied French, Greek, Spanish, Russian, Romanian, American Sign Language as well as others. I love to work out. I am currently active with Zumba classes, barre classes, and most recently, solid core exercise, which is very challenging, but very rewarding. I love to spend time with my amazing daughter, and we engage in a variety of activities together, such as a wide array of art activities, participation in obstacle courses, rock climbing, hiking, biking, swimming, and traveling. We have traveled all over the United States and the United States Territories, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and South America together. Our next stop and goal is to travel to Africa. I also volunteer on some international human rights projects, and when I travel, I am often able to visit some of the people I volunteer with or met through the volunteer work I do.
What's been your favorite bar association activity?
I love so many activities, but I do feel like there is nothing that can compare to Indianapolis Bar Associations’ Women & the Law Division. We do so many activities, have great CLEs, projects, and a great network and mentoring group. And our local committee is working on a first ever coloring book for Hoosier Female Trailblazers. We are very excited to hopefully have this coloring book printed this year. Only the WLD engages in such a variety of topics, activities, and projects. I think the WLD is a group that I always want to be involved with. I also feel the Bar Leaders Series is very special and I encourage anyone that qualifies and is in a position to participate, to apply for IndyBar’s Bar Leader Series.
You are active in many bar associations, including the IndyBar- Women and the Law Division. What do you find beneficial from your membership in these associations, particularly the WLD?
I think the comradery we get is invaluable and irreplaceable. I have built lasting friendships that will last a lifetime. I think especially in running my own practice, it helped me build connections and experience that I would not otherwise have. The Summer Receptions and ADL Luncheons are always so inspirational. The CLEs WLD presents are amazing. The most recent CLE, “A Look Into Motherhood And the Law,” was fantastic and a great reminder how working mothers have challenges, but also various avenues to advocate for their rights. These topics also highlight the tremendous strides we have made, which is why we cannot stop the momentum even now. I have only found the WLD to truly focus on these important issues, which are still so important to working mothers, and I am grateful to be a part of this fantastic group.
What's the best part of your job?
I love the freedom and flexibility that I have. I love having my own practice. It is certainly a lot of work and requires a lot of dedication and diligence; however, I am able to represent very rewarding cases that I would not otherwise have the opportunity to represent. Another reason I wanted to run my own firm was the type of law that I wanted to practice – non-profit and civil rights that I could not otherwise practice. I am able to pursue my passions to practice these unique areas of law. I have also practiced a variety of areas that I do not think I would otherwise have been exposed to. It was also great during the pandemic to run my own practice with my own commercial building because I was able to take my daughter with me every day. My office space is on the second floor, separated from my employees. I know that was a difficult time for everyone, but we had to learn to make the most of it. During that time, I was grateful to keep my practice running and to be able to spend every day with my daughter, that I probably could not otherwise. I have also learned to practice at times remotely during my daughter’s breaks from school, and that is usually when we travel. I love that part about my job because I can practice almost virtually anywhere (with some planning, of course), while also spending quality time with my daughter.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out as a lawyer?
I wish that I had focused more on self-care. In the beginning of building my law firm, I worked so many hours and rarely took off for the weekends and holidays and I had minimal, if any, time for self-care. On one hand, I needed to work so many hours in the beginning to establish my business and law firm. On the other hand, we are only born with one body, and it is important that we take care of it because we need it to last our lifetimes. I was able to focus to some degree on self-care as I served on Indiana State Bar Association’s Wellness Committee; however, like many working mothers, I got so busy taking care of everyone else that I neglected myself. I am glad that I learned the importance of self-care before it was too late in life. I have now made self-care a priority in my life and incorporate various ways to work out with my daughter. The practice of law is fun and amazing, as well as very time-consuming, but we cannot neglect ourselves or our families. We are better wives, mothers, and lawyers when we take care of ourselves. Children grow up so fast and it is imperative that we spend our time with them and a big part of that is making sure that we also take care of ourselves. I have now found an avenue to incorporate self-care and physical exercise while often spending time with my daughter. If we take care of ourselves, we will not only be better, sharper lawyers, we likely will be able to practice longer.
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