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IU McKinney students honored their peers, faculty, and members of the legal community for their commitment to diversity during the tenth annual Diversity Dinner. The event took place March 31 in the Deer Pavilion at Newfields. It is the work of the Black Law Students Association, Hispanic Law Society, Asian Law Students Association, and Lambda Legal Society.

The event featured a keynote address from Rupal Thanawala, who is the CEO of Trident Systems, LLC. She also is a member of the board of directors of the Financial Center, and is the editor of a technology and STEM column that appears in the Indianapolis Recorder.

The students presented “Champion of Diversity” honors to three individuals during the event. These awards honor “exceptional students and professionals who have demonstrated a substantial commitment to increasing representation and creating affirming spaces through their respective roles and volunteering efforts.” Recipients of these honors are:

LL.M. student Anamika Krishnan. She received the Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Memorial Award, presented by the Sarada Krishna Satgamaya Foundation for Law and Justice in November 2022. The award, named for the pioneer of the legal aid movement in India, recognizes proficiency in law and justice and was conferred for graduating in law first out of 1500 students at Mahatma Gandhi University in India. In fall 2022, Krishnan organized a two-day virtual symposium on “The Future of Bioethics in the Post-Pandemic Era.” The event, which was sponsored by the State Government of Kerala, featured presenters from around the world, including IU McKinney Professor Jennifer Drobac as well as current LL.M. student Denise Chisveto and SJD student Perfecto Caparas, LL.M. ’06. In the photo at left, Krishnan, left, received her award from IU McKinney 2L Judith Perez Castro, treasurer of the Hispanic Law Society.

Professor Lahny Silva. Professor Silva received the IUPUI Chancellor’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement and was named a Chancellor’s Professor, the most distinguished appointment an individual faculty member can attain at IUPUI, at the Chancellor’s Honor’s Convo. The honors are in recognition of Professor Silva’s scholarship and work in the re-entry community in the metropolitan Indianapolis area. Professor Silva is the director of the Re-Entry Clinic at IU McKinney. Clinic students, who must be certified legal interns, work as mentors to federal probationers and provide community outreach and legal representation in underserved areas in Indianapolis. Professor Silva is also the faculty supervisor for the Second Chance Re-Entry Assistance Program, or S.C.R.A.P., a student organization at IU McKinney. Working with people who were formerly incarcerated, students provide driver’s license reinstatement assistance and help finding employment. In the photo at left, Professor Silva, left, received her award from Perez Castro.

Rachel Van Tyle, director of Legal Services at Exodus Refugee Immigration. Prior to this role, she was the director of immigrant services at the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, where she also worked as a staff attorney and a volunteer attorney.