News Archive

IU McKinney alumnus Mark Nicholson was named an Elite Lawyer, and a story about him appeared on Indianapolis television news station WTHR.

A 2008 graduate of IU McKinney, Nicholson was named an Elite Lawyer in 2020 by the Elite Lawyer directory and rating service dedicated to providing a diverse directory of the nation’s most outstanding attorneys. Elite Lawyer awards and recognizes attorneys who have displayed a high level of competence in their practices and have received acknowledgement from their peers, community, bar, and committees.

The television news story recounts Nicholson’s path to becoming a lawyer. He served in the U.S. Army and National guard, and less than a year after his service he was charged with murder and convicted of voluntary manslaughter. He served 12 years in prison and was homeless after his release. He began volunteering with the ACLU of Indiana, who didn’t realize Nicholson was homeless. Nicholson found help through the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation. He enrolled in law school at IU McKinney, where he made the dean’s list, served as class president, and was voted to represent his evening program classmates as the commencement speaker in 2008. He practices law in Indianapolis.