With nearly 12,000 McKinney Law alumni living around the world, big things are always happening. Here you can see the latest about new jobs, promotions, appointments, and other life events.
Read the latest class notes below, submit your own. You can also update your profile on MyIU.org. Then, view our alumni volunteer opportunities to see how you can get involved at the IU McKinney School of Law.
Class Notes
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1970
John Van Winkle
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Life Fellows.
Sep 2025
1975
David Jones
has joined the Evansville office of Dentons as of counsel. David advises municipal and county governments as they navigate contracts, ordinances, land issues, compliance, financing, economic development initiatives and more. He also has nearly 50 years of litigation experience in both state and federal courts.
Feb 2025
1976
Andrew Fogle
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
1977
James Warden
has announced his retirement after 38 years serving as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. Warden is the longest-serving attorney in the office’s 97-year history.
Jun 2025
1978
Robert Burns
scored his latest hole-in-one at Twisted Oaks Golf Course on hole number eight, 142 yards, in Beverly Hills, Florida, on April 11, 2025. It was his fourth hole-in-one. Burns retired from the practice of law in 2004 and wishes to pass along his congratulations to all the 2025 graduates of IU McKinney School of Law.
Sep 2025
1981
John Pistole
who retired as president of Anderson University in May 2025, has joined Church Church Hittle + Antrim as a senior advisor in the firm’s higher education practice group.
Aug 2025
1984
Gregory Laker
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Life Fellows.
Sep 2025
1985
David Craig
served as co-chair of a seminar titled “Winning Truck Wreck Cases,” which took place August 4, 2025, in Noblesville. The event was hosted by the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association. Craig is board-certified in truck accident law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and accredited by the American Bar Association.
Sep 2025
Melissa Proffitt
has been asked to serve on the 2024-2025 WNBA All-Star Board of Directors. She also has been named as a committee member of the Women Engagement & Summit Committee/Community Programs Division of the WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee. In addition, she has been named the 2025-2026 Indiana Chamber of Commerce Chair of the Board of Directors.
Dec 2024
Melissa Proffitt
has been asked to serve on the Search Committee for the new Executive Vice President General Counsel for Indiana University Foundation.
Jan 2025
Melissa Proffitt
was chosen to serve on the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards selection committee.
Jul 2025
Melissa Proffitt
was a speaker at the Indiana Conference for Women Leadership Series on October 10, 2025, to emerging local leaders on the topic of “Community Engagement & Leadership.”
Oct 2025
Melissa Proffitt
passed the gavel to new board chair Scott Brand at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 fall board meeting.
Nov 2025
1988
D. Rusty Denton
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Life Fellows.
Sep 2025
1989
Yasmin Stump
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
1990
Andrew Detherage
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Life Fellows.
Sep 2025
Daniel Griffith
has written a book, Everyday Mediator: Seven Practices for Navigating Conflict, which is available on Amazon. Griffith teaches mediation practice as an adjunct professor at IU McKinney.
Aug 2025
Bill Kaiser
was named to the 2025 class of Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law honorees in the Distinguished Barrister category.
Sep 2025
1991
Catherine Borkowski
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Scott Faultless
served as co-chair of a seminar titled “Winning Truck Wreck Cases,” which took place August 4, 2025, in Noblesville. The event was hosted by the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association. Craig is board-certified in truck accident law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and accredited by the American Bar Association.
Sep 2025
1993
Robert Johnson
has been installed as president of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association. He is a partner in the Indianapolis firm of Johnson Jensen.
Jun 2025
Howard Stevenson
has been re-elected president of the Fishers Plan Commission.
Apr 2025
1994
Scott Chinn
has been named practice group leader for the government and regulatory affairs group at Faegre Drinker. Chinn represents businesses, governments and nonprofits in public-private transactions, policymaking, and disputes. He also provides advice on public sector legal matters and constitutional law.
Apr 2025
Nathan Feltman
has been named to the board of director of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He is CEO, publisher, and owner of IBJ Media.
Dec 2024
Nathan Feltman
CEO and owner of IBJ Media, is serving as co-chair of the local organizing committee for the 2026 NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis.
Jul 2025
Jeff Mastin
retired as an administrative law judge at the U.S. Social Security Administration. While enjoying semi-retirement, he has joined Indiana University Bloomington Student Legal Services as a part-time staff attorney.
Nov 2025
Robert Shive
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Life Fellows.
Sep 2025
1996
Judge Helen Marchal
is the 2025 recipient of the IndyBar Women in the Law Division’s Mentorship Award.
Feb 2025
Alexandra Sylvia
was named to the 2025 class of Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law honorees in the Distinguished Barrister category.
Sep 2025
1997
Eric Hylton
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
John Osgathorpe
traveled to Madrid, Spain, to accept an award on behalf of his law firm, Taylor Day Law. The firm was named the 2025 Law Firm of the Year by ALFA International.
Nov 2025
1998
Angela Stephens
was named to the 2025 class of Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law honorees in the Distinguished Barrister category.
Sep 2025
1999
Jeff Papa
received the 2025 Servant’s Heart Award from the People Helping People Network.
Feb 2025
Jeff Papa
was named to the 2025 class of Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law honorees in the Distinguished Barrister category.
Sep 2025
2000
Joshua Hollingsworth
has been appointed co-chair of the mergers and acquisitions practice group at Barnes & Thornburg. Hollingsworth is based in Indianapolis and has been with the firm since 2005. He has over two decades of experience serving as a trusted advisor to clients ranging from established public companies and private equity funds to innovative startups. He also serves on the board of directors of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), a leading M&A networking organization.
May 2025
2001
Michael S. Burns
will be promoted to senior vice president and chief legal officer of CSX on January 2, 2025. Burns will oversee all of CSX's legal and regulatory affairs, the corporate secretary’s office, risk management, police and infrastructure protection, environmental and hazmat, and audit functions. He previously served as CSX vice president and general counsel.
Dec 2024
Heather Byrer Carbone
a shareholder in the worker’s compensation department in the Jacksonville, Florida, office of Marshall Dennehey, has been named to the 2024 class of Florida Trend Legal Elite Notable Women Leaders in Law. Carbone was recognized for her impact in the field of law, mentorship, and leadership in professional organizations and civic/community service initiatives.
Dec 2024
Eric Engebretson
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Life Fellows.
Sep 2025
2002
Todd Janzen
celebrated the 10th anniversary of the law firm he founded, Janzen Schroeder Ag Law on December 1, 2025. The law firm is based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is focused on serving those involved with agriculture.
Nov 2025
2003
Laura Gorman
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Judge Cynthia Oetjen
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Chris Stephenson
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
2004
Alexandra Curlin
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Eric Lamb
a partner in the Indianapolis office of Frost Brown Todd, has been recognized as a 2025 Global Leader by World Trademark Review. He is one of six attorneys to be recognized in Indiana. His practice focuses on protecting, enforcing and defending intellectual property rights for publicly traded and privately held companies across industries, with a particular emphasis on manufacturing.
Jun 2025
2005
Meghan Lehner
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
2006
Pamela Grant-Taylor
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
2007
Amy Carson
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Kiamesha-Sylvia Colom
is the first female real estate attorney in Indiana to be welcomed into the American College of Real Estate Lawyers’ membership.
Apr 2025
Logan Harrison
has been selected by the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corp for promotion to lieutenant colonel. Harrison has served for nearly 17 years and is currently based at 102d Training Division, 1st Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Nov 2025
Andrew Kossack
was promoted to chief executive officer at Applied Research Institute.
Sep 2025
2008
Lauren Hicks
has been elected to shareholder in the Indianapolis office of Ogletree Deakins. Her practice specializes in Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs compliance and audit defense, pay equity statistical analyses, and diversity and inclusion.
Jan 2025
David Johnson
has joined the Washington, D.C., office of Hotzman Vogel, as a partner. The nationally recognized political law firm specializes in political law, regulatory matters, and high-profile litigation.
Jul 2025
Megan Savage
has been named to the board of directors of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. She is vice president of External Affairs at the Heritage Group.
Dec 2024
2009
Russell Brown
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Annie Chey-Sluss
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Malak Heiny
has been honored with the inaugural Municipal Law Excellence Award by the Indiana Municipal Lawyers Association Board of Directors. Heiny is associate city attorney for the city of Fort Wayne.
Aug 2025
April Bogard Pinder
has been named chief executive officer of Cranfill Sumner LLP in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has more than two decades of experience in law, banking, and enterprise transformation. Most recently, she served as senior vice president, head of strategy, and program execution at U.S. Bank, where she led multi-million-dollar modernization efforts, integrated digital solutions and AI into scalable systems, and built operational frameworks to drive clarity, agility and performance.
Nov 2025
Salma Taman
an LL.M. graduate, has been selected to be part of the 2025 James T. Morris Global Leadership Series. She is the development director at Pattern in Indianapolis.
Aug 2025
2010
Alicia Adcock
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Matthew Neumann
has joined the Indianapolis office of Dentons as a partner. Neumann, a member of Dentons’ energy practice, focuses on all aspects of energy and infrastructure projects, including project development, project finance and project M&A matters across varied industry sectors and project types.
Feb 2025
Carolina Rashidfarokhi
has joined Dentons’ Indianapolis office as of counsel. A member of the real estate practice, Rashidfarokhi helps clients through the many aspects of a real estate transaction, including due diligence, drafting and negotiating letters of intent and purchase contracts, title and survey review, and review of operating agreements, leasing agreements, partnership agreements, and more. She is also a 2005 graduate of IU McKinney’s LL.M. program.
Feb 2025
Sonya Seeder
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
2011
Chris Greisl
has been named a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, effective January 1, 2026.
Nov 2025
Sara McClammer
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Detra Mills
moderated a panel discussion on October 4 at the meeting of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences. The discussion titled “Survivors’ Acts of Reclamation and Self-Determination through Embodies Identity” took place at Hanover College.
Sep 2025
Amanda Mulroony
has joined Frost Brown Todd as a partner in the business and commercial litigation practice group. She serves on the Indianapolis Bar Association’s Litigation Section Executive Committee and on the association’s Bench Bar planning committee.
Sep 2025
2012
Erin Albert
was promoted to chief of pharmacy relations at Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC.
Apr 2025
Andrew Bartelt
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Angela Freeman
has been named to the local organizing committee for the 2026 NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. She will work with business and community leaders on the arts and culture and/or sports tech committees. In addition, Freeman is features on the Business, Equity & Opportunities Show on WISH-TV. The video vignettes provide basic legal knowledge for small business owners, starts-ups, and entrepreneurs.
Jul 2025
Carlton Martin
is serving as an adjunct professor at Bay Atlantic University. He teaches international students about the American legal system with a focus on business law fundamentals. He is the director of the Homeless Persons Representation Project.
Jan 2025
Carlton Martin
has been appointed to the American Bar Association Commission on Homelessness and Poverty. He teaches a course on homelessness and the law as an adjunct professor at IU McKinney.
Aug 2025
Casandra Ringlespaugh
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
2013
Mohamed Arafa
an S.J.D. graduate of IU McKinney, has been named one of the top ten African and Middle Eastern Scholars by The Africa Report.
Feb 2025
Mike Blackwell
has been elevated to partner at Husch Blackwell. He is experienced with energy infrastructure transactions and advises clients on federal and state energy laws, regulations, and policies. He represents clients in transactional and commercial matters and in proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, state public service commissions, and state and federal courts. Blackwell teaches a seminar on energy industry regulation at IU McKinney as an adjunct professor.
Jan 2025
Neal Brackett
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Matthew Brown
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Rachel Conner
has joined the Indianapolis office of Dentons as of counsel in the energy practice. She focuses on renewable energy project development, including solar, wind, battery storage, data centers and more.
Feb 2025
Harvey Lancaster
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Daniel Mowrey
has joined the Nicolaides’ Denver office as a senior counsel. Most recently with Lewis Brisbois, Mowrey has more than a decade of experience representing insurers in high-stakes civil and commercial litigation, with a focus on insurance coverage and bad faith disputes.
Jul 2025
2014
Nick Johnston
has been promoted to partner at Faegre Drinker. He's part of the firm's corporate practice group and guides clients through corporate law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures, other complex transactions, and general business matters.
Dec 2024
Molly Lee
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Doneisha Posey
was named to the 2025 class of Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law honorees in the Up and Coming Lawyer category.
Sep 2025
2015
Jonathan Emdin
has joined Rivkin Radler as part of the firm’s Complex Torts & Product Liability and General Liability Practice Groups. He concentrates his practice in all aspects of civil defense litigation, including construction/labor law, premises liability, automotive liability, and products liability.
Jan 2025
Jaclyn Flint
has been promoted to partner at Riley Bennett Egloff. She focuses her practice on intellectual property law and litigation, sports and entertainment law, commercial litigation, and business and corporate law. She is a summa cum laude graduate of IU McKinney.
Jan 2025
Jaclyn Flint
was named to the 2025 class of Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law honorees in the Up and Coming Lawyer category.
Sep 2025
Daniel Spungen
was named to the 2025 class of Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law honorees in the Up and Coming Lawyer category.
Sep 2025
2016
Ranissa Dycus
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Burnell Grimes
has been named to the local organizing committee for the 2026 NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. He will serve on the tournament experience division, where he'll help shape engagement opportunities for key community stakeholders. Grimes is director, legal - North American Energy Solutions for Carrier Global Corporation.
Jun 2025
Katelyn Juerling
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Brittany Kelly
has been named vice chair of the National Council of State Court Behavior Health Administrators.
Jul 2025
Lindsay Popejoy
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Britt Sutton
has been named chief executive officer of Conquer Paralysis Now. The non-profit, based in Las Vegas, is a leading authority on spinal cord injury research and treatment.
Jun 2025
Alex Van Gorp
has been selected by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association as one of the Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers under 40 for 2025.
Apr 2025
2017
Portia Bailey-Bernard
has been named to the Indy Chamber Board of Directors.
Apr 2025
Ji Hyun (Jennifer) Kim
has been elevated to partner at Stinson LLP in the law firm’s Dallas office. In her practice, she assists clients with complex corporate transactions and provides comprehensive business solutions, drawing on her international business experience.
Jan 2025
Karla López Owens
delivered remarks on April 6 during the IU Indianapolis Honors Convocation as an alumna of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Apr 2025
Oscar Rivas
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
Tyler Zipes
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
2018
Thomas Bemenderfer
was named to the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's 2025 class of Distinguished Fellows.
Sep 2025
2019
Nicholas Bognanno
was named to the 2025 class of Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law honorees in the Up and Coming Lawyer category.
Sep 2025
2020
Marina Blackburn
was named to the 2025 class of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 20 in Their Twenties program.
Sep 2025
2021
Tiffany Costley
contributed a chapter to the recently published book, The Liberal Heartland: A Political History of the Postwar American Midwest.
Apr 2025
2022
Kaleb Hobgood
has joined the torts and litigation practice group of Plunkett Cooney in the firm’s Indianapolis office. He focuses his practice on insurance defense litigation involving product liability, premises liability, and motor vehicle claims.
Mar 2025
Talitha Krenk
who is also a 2018 LL.M. graduate, has joined JBS USA as their immigration manager. Krenk will work in the company’s Colorado operations.
Jun 2025
Jae-Lyn Overton
has been promoted to felony prosecutor in the Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office in Texas.
Mar 2025
Whitney Peterson
was named to the 2025 class of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 20 in Their Twenties program.
Sep 2025
Jasbir "Josh" Singh Dhani
was named to the 2025 class of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 20 in Their Twenties program.
Sep 2025
2023
April Barnard
has joined the Washington, D.C., office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as an associate. She focuses her practice on patent prosecution, patent litigation and client counseling in the life sciences sector.
Sep 2025
Madalynn Conner
was named to the 2025 class of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 20 in Their Twenties program.
Sep 2025
Alexis Martinez
was named to the 2025 class of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 20 in Their Twenties program.
Sep 2025
J.T. Wynne
has joined Riley Bennet Egloff as an associate, where he focuses on corporate law, labor and employment law, and real estate law.
Dec 2024
2024
LaCretia Allen
a Master of Jurisprudence graduate, has begun her Ph.D. studies at IU Indianapolis.
Sep 2025
Brandon Rickey
is working full time for fellow IU McKinney alum Harold W. Grigdesby, J.D. '23, LL.M. '25, at Walker Grigsby Law in Westfield, Indiana. In addition, Rickey became a licensed Indiana notary public in fall 2024.
Aug 2025
