News Archive

Janice E. Kreuscher, ’84, was celebrated as the 2015 Outstanding Alumna of the Year by the IU McKinney Alumnae Network at a luncheon in her honor at the Woodstock Club on June 12.

Audrey Grossman, ’77, gave a tribute to Kreuscher, and later was joined by two additional speakers who shared stories as well.

Grossman told how she met Kreuscher in 1974, when Kreuscher, a reporter, interviewed her for a story she was writing for the Indianapolis News. Kreuscher worked as a journalist before going to law school. Grossman called her friend “one of the wittiest and smartest women I’ve ever met.” She reached out to what she called the “fraternity of Jan fans” to learn more about her friend.

One of those “Jan fans,” Richard Shevitz -- a partner at Cohen & Malad, asked to share the tribute duties with Grossman. Shevitz talked about working with Kreuscher at the Indiana Attorney General’s Office during Pamela Carter’s administration. Kreuscher, a summa cum laude graduate of the law school, served as chief counsel of government litigation in the Office of the Attorney General when Carter, ’84, took office.

Carter was next at the podium to honor her friend. During Kreuscher’s time working for the Attorney General, the office won more United States Supreme Court cases and more “best brief” awards than any other, Carter said. The office also “made a lot of settled law, strong law that’s been sustainable,” she said, adding that a lot of the credit for those achievements was due to Kreuscher’s work.

Kreuscher said she was touched by all the praise and fond remembrances. “I didn’t plan to be a lawyer,” Kreuscher said of her decision to go to law school. “I wanted to leave the News. I didn’t think I wanted to be a lawyer. I figured law school would give me three years to figure out what would come next!”

Kreuscher spent the bulk of her legal career in the public sector, serving as general counsel of IndyGo, the Indianapolis transportation corporation, after leaving the AG’s Office. She also taught as an adjunct professor at IU McKinney for several years.

“I really enjoyed the students,” Kreuscher said. “They reminded me why I love the law.”