News Archive

IU McKinney’s Office of Professional Development hosted the annual Good Reception at Inlow Hall. The annual event recognizes students for their pro bono service and honors clinic students for their work. The class of 2023 contributed 5,668.8 hours of pro bono service over more than 32 different projects.

The John Paul Berlon Award for Pro Bono Service was given to Katherine Zoeller. She completed 462.75 hours of pro bono service during her time at IU McKinney, where she served with the Re-Entry Assistance and Community Help Law Clinic, Indiana Legal Services, the Marion County Public Defender Agency, Second Chance Re-Entry Assistance Program, and the ACLU of Indiana. In the photo are Katherine Zoeller, left, and Olivia Daley, senior associate director for Professional Development.

Gold awards for pro bono service, the Norman Lefstein Award of Excellence, for 200-plus hours of service, went to the following:

• Chloe Carnes
• Denise Chisveto
• Caroline Crouch
• Megan Erickson
• Michael Ferron
• John Gordon
• Whitney Grout
• Graciela Macias
• Danielle Merlo
• Cody Mitzelfelt
• Julianne Nolan
• Jill Stinson
• Katherine Zoeller

Silver awards, the Mary H. Michell Award for Outstanding Service, for 100 to 199 hours of pro bono work, were presented to the following:

• Niran Al Naili
• Victoria Blackwell
• Alexus Conboy
• Hakeemat Ijaiya
• Helay Khwajazada
• Gustave Pippin
• Steven Reidell
• Joseph Ross
• Regan Sandberg

Bronze awards for students who completed 50 to 99 hours of pro bono service, were given to the following:

• Jessica Bohling
• Emily Bolyard
• Alexander Carson
• Madison Cibulka
• Georgia Dunkerley
• Charis Grubbs
• Madison Hybels
• Christopher Ickes
• Morgan Jackson
• Anne Leer
• Sidney Lewellen
• Margaret McMillan
• Jendi McNicholas
• Hope Peterlin
• Carly Ringlespaugh
• Kimberly Tricoche
• Julia Zuchkov

The Clinic Student of the Year award went to two students this academic year: Steve Nisi and Alexis Martinez.

Professor Fran Quigley, J.D. ’87, who teaches in the Health and Human Rights Clinic, presented the honor to Steve Nisi. Nisi was the lead author of an article, written with Professor Quigley and others, accepted for publication in Res Gestae, the journal of the Indiana State Bar Association. The piece argues that landlord primary possession claims in Indiana need to be held to the same evidentiary standards as other injunctive relief requests, which could lead to tenants facing eviction having more time to catch up on rent or find safe alternative housing. Nisi also represented in court many tenants facing and got positive results for many of his clients, Professor Quigley said.

Professor Lahny Silva, director of the Re-Entry and Community Help Clinic, presented the award to Alexis Martinez. Martinez was a REACH mentor-advocate in the re-entry federal problem-solving court and did outreach work as a student in the Re-Entry Assistance and Community Help Clinic. Martinez also served as Professor Silva’s teaching assistant. Professor Silva said Martinez’s work was exceptional and that Martinez served as a role model for other students and routinely went above and beyond to do what needed to be done for clients. “Ms. Martinez will be greatly missed here at McKinney and we are lucky to call her one of our graduates,” Professor Silva said.