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IU McKinney 3L Sergio Gonzalez entered law school wanting to make a difference in his community. He’s preparing to enter the legal profession determined to also make a difference regarding diversity and well-being in the law.

Gonzalez is originally from South Bend, Indiana. He earned two bachelor of arts degrees, in political science and Spanish, at Indiana University on the Bloomington campus. There are no attorneys in his family, and Gonzalez says he became intrigued by what he could do with a law degree after attending a diversity event hosted by IU Maurer. “Being a first-generation American, I wanted the opportunity to make my parents proud and to make my community a better place,” Gonzalez said. He chose IU McKinney for the opportunity it offers.

“I wanted to attend a law school where networking with attorneys would be easily accessible,” Gonzalez said. “IU McKinney is in a prime location for opportunity. The legal community is strong and close-knit in Indianapolis, so McKinney was the ideal choice for me.”

Gonzalez received the Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship. Through the fellowship, he aims to advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) at IU McKinney and in the legal profession. He put together a panel discussion featuring diverse attorneys from the firm which took place at the law school March 2, 2023. Brittany Kelly, J.D. ’16, deputy director of the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program, also took part in the event, the topic of which was diversity and well-being in the law. The inspiration for the event, Gonzalez said, came from an American Bar Association article titled, “Lawyer Well-Being: An Uncharted Path to Increasing Diversity and Inclusion.”

“My classmates and I are entering a highly demanding profession, where diversity and well-being are not given the attention they deserve,” Gonzalez said. “I want this event to serve as a catalyst for recognizing that diversity and well-being are essential to our profession. I am hopeful that my peers will walk away from the event enlightened and empowered by the event’s discourse, and that they will begin to think of new, more wholesome ways of responding to the challenges the legal profession presents them.”

After graduation and the bar exam, Gonzalez will be an associate at one of Faegre Drinker’s Indianapolis offices.