News Archive

IU McKinney 3L Alex Van Gorp and Professor Joel Schumm, ’98, successfully argued that their client should not have been adjudicated a juvenile delinquent after police found her riding in a car that had been reported as having been stolen. The juvenile in the case, G.I v. State of Indiana, was a client of the IU McKinney Appellate Clinic, which is taught by Professor Schumm. Van Gorp is a certified legal intern in the clinic. There was insufficient evidence to conclude that the juvenile knew the car had been stolen, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.

“Criminal defendants and juvenile respondents face long odds on appeal, especially when challenging the sufficiency of evidence,” Professor Schumm said. “This reversal is another in a string of Appellate Clinic successes that are a testament to the hard work and skilled advocacy of our students.”

“I'm so grateful and proud to take part in something while a law student that makes a quantifiable difference in the community,” Van Gorp said. “This gives me confidence that when I graduate this May, I can represent myself, this school, and my future clients competently.”

In the photo, Professor Schumm is at left with Van Gorp in the IU McKinney Wynne Courtroom.

Professor Schumm is a magna cum laude graduate of the law school. In addition to his work with the Appellate Clinic, he is director of the Judicial Externship Program, and director of Experiential Learning at IU McKinney.