Having spent five years with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, I may be a bit biased about the benefits of a judicial clerkship, but I would be doing a disservice to my female colleagues if I did not emphasize some of those benefits as often as possible. To that end, I will highlight three key advantages here: (1) mentorship and guidance; (2) networking opportunities; and (3) unique experience.

Meet September's WLD Member of the Month, Carol Joven! Carol is of counsel at Williams Law Group LLC and focuses on cases involving business litigation, legal malpractice, and civil rights violations.

Don’t let the excellence of those around you go unrecognized. It only takes a few minutes to nominate a colleague who stands out in the crowd. The Indianapolis legal community is fortunate to be home to many talented, dedicated professionals, and we need your help in identifying the best of the best. 

Nominations are encouraged for the following IndyBar awards via a single online application form that only takes a few minutes to complete.

Each year, the Antoinette Dakin Leach Award recognizes the significant accomplishments of a “trailblazing” female attorney in central Indiana. Named after the first Hoosier woman to challenge bar admission based on gender, Dakin Leach was admitted to practice law in Indiana in 1893. Thereafter, she fought for more than fifteen years until finally admitted to the State Bar Association in 1909. 

The WLD is currently seeking nominations for the 2023 ADL award. We’re looking for female attorneys who emulate Dakin Leach’s passion for the law as well as her dedication to supporting other women in the profession.

Help us recognize a deserving colleague by nominating her at this link.

All nominations must be submitted by August 14th.

Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with WLD member Jessie Meek. Jessie Laurin Meek is a Senior Managing Associate at Dentons. Read more about her here!

It can be hard to make time to volunteer for pro bono work once we get into our professional routines. Throw kids and family schedules in the mix and it becomes almost impossible. If you still find yourself wanting to give back to your local community despite a packed schedule, I have some low commitment suggestions for pro bono service.

Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with WLD member Samantha Chapman. Samantha Chapman is a Fishers attorney, animal advocate, and candidate for local office.  In her career, she has worked in private practice for a national law firm, for the Indiana Court of Appeals as a judicial clerk, and for the Indiana Secretary of State as Attorney and Special Counsel in the Business Services Division.  She now devotes her time and passion to protecting animals as the Indiana State Director of the Humane Society of the Unites States.  We sat down with Samantha to learn more about her legal path – and wound up getting some great career advice:

ChatGPT is all anyone can seem to talk about these days, from grandmas to grade schoolers.  That is how you know when a technology has captured the popular zeitgeist. Now, if you haven’t used it yet, or are unfamiliar with it, ChatGPT is what is called a ‘generative AI’ tool, that is rendered in the form of a chatbot.

Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with WLD member Judge Amber Collins. Read on to learn more about her!

By order of the Marion Circuit Court Judge, the Marion Circuit Court, Marion Superior Courts, Marion County Small Claims Courts, and the Marion County Clerk’s Office will be closed on Monday, June 19, 2023, in observance of Juneteenth.

A reminder, when the Court is closed, the Juvenile Detention Center, Initial Hearing Court and Juvenile Probation Intake at 25th & Keystone are still open and operational.