This is a joint column co-written monthly by the Chairs of the Masters Division and Young Lawyers Division to compare, contrast, and relate practicing law 25+ years ago to practicing law today. Each column will examine a new general subject. Read more for in-person or virtual connection insights.

Following a year of intensive seminars, community engagement, and pushing yourselves to grow professionally and personally through IndyBar’s Bar Leader Series, members of Class XXI gathered at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for their class graduation. From everyone at IndyBar, congratulations on a great year! 

From right to left: Byrin A. Romney; Olivia A. Hess; Cody J. Coldren; Andrew J. Meek; Grace B. Atwater; Ana Carolina D. Hohn; Russell Hollis; Audreyalice K. Warner; Sean M. Kilgore; Molly A. Crow; Christopher B. Roberts; Anthony J. Simonton; Allison M. Scarlott; Lee C. Christie; Hon. Frank Sullivan, Jr.; Britt Nicholson; Robert T. Grand; Janet L. Thompson; Jackson L. Schroeder; D. Brooke Smith. Not Pictured: J. Daniel Vaughn.

Congratulations to these IndyBar members on their accomplishments! Have something to share? Email Becca Lienemann to be featured.

Matthew Kelley has recently joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP as a partner. Matt is a trusted labor and employment attorney with over 15 years of experience guiding employers through complex labor relations matters.

Lewis Wagner & Trimble is pleased to announce 18 IndyBar member attorneys have been selected in multiple practice areas for the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch.

Best Lawyers in America Attorneys Include:
MaryEllen Bishop, Matthew Conner, Dina Cox, Wade Fulford, Thomas Hays, Brian Hewitt, Kyle Lansberry, Michael Lewinski, Michele Lorbieski, Eric McNamar, Richard Shoultz, Ryan Vershay, and Robert Wagner.

Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch Include:
Edmund Abel, Michael, Giordano, Janelle Kilies, Molly Lee, and Christopher Mueller.

Read more about the honorees here.

Audrey Lunsford has recently joined the Law Office of Mark Nicholson. Audrey has over fifteen years of legal experience in various areas of law. She focuses primarily on appellate, family (child support and custody, juvenile delinquency, etc.), criminal, and expungement law matters.

Riley Bennett Egloff LLP is pleased to announce 16 IndyBar member attorneys have been selected in multiple practice areas for the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch.

Best Lawyers in America Attorneys Include:
Laura Binford, Jeffrey Fecht, Kathleen Hart, Eric Hylton, Anthony Jost, Ryan Leitch, Laura Reed, Donald Smith, Justin Sorrell, and Kevin Tharp.

Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch Include:
Jaclyn Flint, Lindsay Llewellyn, Patrick McCarney, Courtney Mills, Katie Riles, and Travis Watson.

Read more about the honorees here.

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP is excited to share they are expanding their presence in the Southeast by combining with Morris Manning & Martin, a highly regarded firm with offices in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., effective December 31, 2025.

Ellen Townsend has recently joined Due Doyle Fanning & Alderfer LLP as a partner. Ellen practices in real estate and litigation with a focus on professional liability defense.

The IndyBar President’s Update is a regular feature where we share what’s been happening behind the scenes, celebrate wins, and give you a sense of where we’re headed. It’s a way to keep everyone in the loop, reflect on what we’ve accomplished together, and look ahead to what’s next.

• IndyBar encourages you to participate in the Foundations 2.0 survey, recently featured by the ABA Journal, which you can access from the link that follows. The survey takes about 15–25 minutes and is open through September 12. Click here to participate. In 2014, Foundations for Practice identified the skills, competencies, and abilities lawyers need to be successful in practice. Today, IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, and the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) are launching Foundations 2.0 to ensure the competency framework accurately reflects the present and future needs of the profession. Your participation will provide key data on the abilities lawyers need as they enter and grow in the profession, and that data will assist IndyBar with their members. Please note that while you may receive this survey from different bar organizations, you only need to take the survey once.
• The Rule of Law Committee is celebrating Constitution Day with a Rule of Law Essay Contest open to any high school-aged students in Marion, Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Morgan, and Shelby counties. Entries are due September 1, 2025, and the top three winners will receive a cash prize and commemorative gift. Please consider sharing this opportunity with students, parents, and educators in your network. More information is available here. The committee is also hosting a CLE focusing on the American and Indiana Constitutions and how they protect and provide fundamental rights. The program will be hosted at the Indiana Supreme Court beginning at 3 p.m. on September 17. Visit www.indybar.org/constitution for details on all things Constitution Day.
• Thank you and congratulations to our fantastic Administrative Services Coordinator, Deion Ziwawo, as he completes his first full year with our IndyBar team. Deion works to make our new member initiatives beneficial to our community and keeps HQ running smoothly. We only get to have Deion for one more year as he is working toward starting law school next fall, but until then we’re lucky to have him on our team!
• We are hosting a welcome party for the new 1L class at McKinney at The Tap on Thursday, September 4 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Please encourage new students, who are our future members and leaders, to join us and/or feel free to come along!

Meet our newest member spotlight, Tara Lutes!

Interested in participating in becoming a member of the fundraising-focused 2026 IndyBar Foundation Board of Directors? Nominations for at-large board members are open to any IndyBar member.

Board service will begin on Jan. 1, 2026. All board members are expected to attend an overnight orientation retreat in French Lick, IN Thursday, November 6 (beginning as early as 1 p.m.) thru Friday, November 7 (ending no later than 2:00 p.m.). Costs for the retreat are covered by the foundation.

To be considered for a position on the board of directors you must be a member of the Indianapolis legal community and in good standing with Indiana Supreme Court. Though the available slots are limited, the foundation welcomes all submissions and will work to find a place for all parties to serve in the 2026 year.

Interested in being a part of something for the good of the profession; something that works to expand access to justice in the Indianapolis community?

Please submit your nominations at www.indybarfoundation.org/board by midnight September 15, 2025. Questions? Reach out to Julie Armstrong at jarmstrong@indybar.org.

As attorneys, many of us feel we must appear invincible, fully formed, certain, and never admit doubt. Law school often reinforced that instinct: don’t raise your hand unless you know the answer, don’t let them see you sweat, only the top of the class will get the good jobs. But that mindset, while understandable, can hold us back.

Here’s a counterintuitive truth: our growth as lawyers (and, frankly, as humans) accelerates when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. Vulnerability, when paired with earned confidence, is not weakness. It’s courage. I’m honored to share a few words on why I believe vulnerability is essential for new attorneys and how we can balance it with confidence. 

Read more.

On September 11, 2025, the third annual Bourbon with the Bar networking event will be held at IndyBarHQ. This event will be hosted by the Commercial & Bankruptcy Section, Criminal Justice Section, Solo and Small Firm Division, and the Masters Division. This event will provide an opportunity for all members, including those not in the hosting sections and divisions, to meet attorneys who practice in other areas of law as well as mingle with some of Marion County’s judges.  

Read more!

Meet our latest IndyBar Member Spotlight, Adam Willfond!

Congratulations to these IndyBar members on their accomplishments! Have something to share? Email Becca Lienemann to be featured.

Ian Fuqua has recently joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. Ian Fuqua has extensive experience advising financial institutions on compliance, litigation, and risk management matters. Ian’s case work includes defending financial institutions against claims involving violations of consumer protection statutes, allegations of predatory lending, mortgage and servicing fraud, wrongful foreclosure and eviction, commercial contract disputes, tax sale challenges, and property-related code enforcement. 

Sean Gorman has recently joined Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission as an Administrative Law Judge. Sean is able to utilize his extensive government and regulatory leadership experience. 

Michelle Maslowski has recently joined Littler Mendelson. She specializes in HR and other legal issues impacting small businesses and entrepreneurs. Michelle provides advice on employment and personnel issues, such as employment agreements, severance and separation agreements, employee handbooks, and individual employment policies.

Kaytie Ravega has joined Boesen & Snow Law in Indianapolis as a Partner. Over the past almost 20 years, Kaytie’s practice has focused on pharmacy law, most recently on investments and transactions in the space, and matters targeting peptides, wellness and longevity care, GPOs, telehealth’s intersection with pharmacy, and specialty pharmacy. She supports healthcare providers and related businesses through compliant business model design and implementation aligned with the applicable healthcare regulations, corporate practice of medicine, data privacy, and anti-kickback laws. 

Kelly Shaw is now practicing at Clark Quinn Moses Scott & Grahn LLP as an associate attorney. Kelly has over a decade of experiences including extensive litigation practice, government sector work, and transactional real estate work.

Libby Whitaker has joined Lewis Wagner & Trimble LLP as an associate in the probate litigation group. Libby provides counsel on a range of probate matters including trusts and will contests and guardianships.