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.

Hard Truths and Some Hopes About Work-Life Balance

Not every lawyer does their best work at 8 a.m. Some (like me) hit their stride at 8 p.m. And while some may roll their eyes at the idea, it’s true. Emails may pour in by nine, but many lawyers draft their clearest briefs, catch their sharpest arguments, or finish their best research long after most of the office has gone dark.

    For night owls, late-night work (on its own), isn’t the problem. The problem is when long hours turn into unmanaged hours—when the line between purposeful focus and pure exhaustion disappears.

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

Scott Enright recently joined Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. Scott draws on his extensive experience as general counsel to public companies to serve as a strategic advisor to business leaders and to provide practical legal advice to clients. He assists clients on a broad range of corporate and business matters, including securities offerings and compliance, corporate governance, complex contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and financing transactions.

Sean Kilgore recently joined Indiana University Health, Inc. Sean's interests and practice span privacy/AI, regulations and compliance, risk management, and commercial/technology/healthcare transactions.

Carlos Martínez González is now at Morgan and Morgan PA. Carlos is a bilingual attorney with over 8 years of experience in workers' compensation and disability claims involving complex medical and legal issues.

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.

• Congratulations to all the nominees for the 2025 IndyBar Awards! So many of our members devote their time and talents to our legal community and our community at large, so thank you to everyone for your contributions in 2025. The following are the recipients of this year’s awards:
  • President’s Award for Service to the Association - Honorable Jane Magnus-Stinson
  • President’s Award for Service to the Profession - The Rule of Law Executive Committee: Chris Hickey, Travis Jensen, Hon. Frank Sullivan, Professor Joel Schumm, Amy Johnson, Raio Krishnayya, Thomas Jones 
  • Board of Directors Award - Lindsay Scott
  • Dr. John Morton Finney Jr. Award for Excellence in Legal Education - Ray Biederman
  • Commitment to Mentorship Award - Enrique Flores 
  • Professionalism Award - Pete Schoeder
  • Silver Gavel Award - Hon. Helen Marchal
  • Unsung Hero Award - Emily Shrock
  • Young Lawyer of the Year Award - Monica McCoskey
• All of our Award Recipients will be recognized at the Recognition Breakfast on November 19 at the Meridian Hills Country Club. This breakfast typically sells out so if you are interested in attending to celebrate someone you know who is receiving an award, you can register by visiting www.indybar.org/recognition. 
• Just a reminder as the legal education year comes to an end that IndyBar has the largest collection of Indiana-specific CLEs available in our On-Demand Catalog, including 45 one-hour programs available to members for FREE. Visit www.indybar.org/ondemand and get your CLE credits in order before the year-end rush!  
• The IndyBar Foundation Board of Directors Retreat is scheduled for November 6-7 in French Lick, and the IndyBar Association Committee Chairs and Board of Directors Retreat is scheduled for November 13-14 in French Lick. Thank you to all the chairs of the Association Committees, Sections and Divisions as well as the Boards of Directors of both the foundation and association for all you do and the time you give to our legal community.
• IndyBar is continuing to monitor, alongside our member law firms, the recently announced policy of the Attorney General regarding DEI practices within law firms. We are also monitoring Preliminary Draft No. 3141 for the General Assembly regarding judicial matters and the Marion County Judicial Selection Committee.
• There is no better way to stay connected within our legal community, network with other legal professionals, and give back to our community than to be an IndyBar member! Don’t forget to renew your IndyBar membership, or join us, for 2026 so that you can continue to take full advantage of all the benefits IndyBar provides to its members. Visit www.indybar.org/2026 to renew or join today. 

Don’t miss these timely programs that blend holiday spirit with practical lessons on one of the most sensitive issues in legal practice. Sign up today!

Meet our newest member spotlight, Ethan Hudson!

While all circumstances within family law matters are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, there is one common factor underlying the point of contention which is the emotional component. The emotional component that commonly intensifies litigation and, at times, results in the complete breakdown of the family structure as it relates to co-parenting. In more extreme matters, this breakdown can lead to the deterioration of not only a co-parenting relationship but also the relationship between a parent and a child. 

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“Everything that guy just said is bulls**t. Thank you.” Those immortal words, spoken at a murder trial by none other than Vincent Gambini in My Cousin Vinny echo in every litigator’s ear. Well, every litigator of a certain age at least. We may want to say it. We dream of it. But we rarely come close. It’s just entertainment. It’s not real. But can we actually learn something about trial practice from the movies? As Vinny would say, “Yeah.” For example, the expert witness scene in My Cousin Vinny is iconic, and proves that we can pick up some real lawyering tips from the big screen. And there’s more out there that’s just as potent. We should take heed. After all, that’s how our audience sees the real world. Bite-sized pieces of bytes at a time. 

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Professor Watson’s entire career has involved breaking down barriers or challenging the norms within the legal profession. When Frances graduated law school, women comprised approximately only 8% of all lawyers in the United States. Today, almost half the number of lawyers in the United States are female. It is because of lawyers like Frances. She graduated in a predominantly male class of future lawyers. After law school, Frances went on to an accomplished career dedicated to public service and advancing the legal profession. She worked as a deputy public defender, and an assistant corporation counsel for the city of Indianapolis before becoming a clinical supervisor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. In 1990, Frances served as the first Chief Public Defender in Marion County. Prior to the creation of the Marion County Public Defender Agency, public defenders were appointed directly by the trial court judge. The creation of the Marion County Public Defender Agency not only took away the optics of bias between the public defender and the judge but also revolutionized indigent criminal defense in Indianapolis and throughout the State of Indiana. 

Meet our newest member spotlight, Ethan Hudson.