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Jimmie L. McMillian, J.D. '02, will deliver the address to graduating students at IU McKinney's graduation recognition ceremony on May 8.

IU McKinney's event will take place at Murat Theater at the Old National Centre. The law school will celebrate 262 graduates from 17 countries, 25 states, and 31 Indiana counties. A total of 58% of the class is female, 42% is male, and 20% are people of color. Our oldest graduate just shy of 64 and our youngest just turned 23.

Graduating students and their families will hear remarks from McMillian, who serves as senior corporate counsel and chief diversity officer of Penske Entertainment, a subsidiary of Penske Corporation. In those capacities, he provides legal counsel to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, INDYCAR, and IMS Productions, and directs all corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. His counsel responsibilities include negotiating the Speedway’s licensing, music concert, construction, and indemnity contracts. His diversity portfolio includes Penske’s “Race for Equality & Change,” an initiative to provide opportunities in the motorsports industry and open wheel racing for women and men from historically underrepresented groups.

Prior to his current assignment at Penske Entertainment, McMillian was a partner in the litigation department of Barnes & Thornburg, one of the nation’s 100 largest law firms. There he represented corporate clients in a wide range of litigation involving commercial contracts, products liability, personal injury and wrongful death claims, construction disputes, and internal and criminal investigations. After graduating from McKinney Law and before beginning work at Barnes & Thornburg, McMillian was a law clerk for former Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan, Jr., who is now a professor of business and commercial law courses at McKinney.

In addition to his legal work at Penske Entertainment, Barnes & Thornburg, and the Indiana Supreme Court, McMillian has been an active leader within the legal profession. Among the notable leadership positions that he has held are Chief of Staff to the President of the National Bar Association, and President of both the Indianapolis and Marion County Bar Associations. In the course of achieving these positions, he has chaired and worked on numerous committees and projects in each organization, making a significant positive impact on the organizations and their contributions to the profession and community.

McMillian is well known for the broad scope of his civic engagement, including memberships on many and leadership of some government and non-profit boards and commissions. These include long-time chairmanship of the Marion County Public Defender Agency which provides representation for indigent criminal defendants, and such important non-profits as the Central Indiana United Way and the Indianapolis Urban League. From his days at McKinney Law, he has been a committed volunteer at Reach for Youth, Inc., and its Teen Court program that promotes restorative justice and allows youth to learn from their mistakes.

McMillian has also been an active McKinney Law and Indiana University alumnus. His service has included many years of membership on and a term as President of the McKinney Law Alumni Association. His work on behalf of the University and the school has been recognized with the prestigious IUPUI Maynard K. Hine Award, the IUPUI Distinguished Alumni Award, and the McKinney Law Distinguished Alumni Award. While a McKinney student, McMillian distinguished himself in many areas of law school life including the Student Bar Association, Moot Court, Black Law Student Association, and Dean’s Tutorial Society (Civil Procedure and Legal Writing). He continued to conduct review sessions in Civil Procedure for students long after his graduation. He was selected by his classmates to be their graduation speaker in 2002.

Throughout his career, McMillian has developed a particular reputation for befriending, assisting, and mentoring young people. This is currently the case at Penske Entertainment where he introduces young people interested in racing to the greatest racing organization in the world; and was the case at Barnes & Thornburg where he was throughout his career a member of its recruiting committee. Beyond that, he is constantly on the lookout for students and prospective law students to give them his counsel and support. And he is always available to do the same for any young person who seeks him out.

At the personal level, he and his wife Lisa are avid motorcyclists. He is the father of twin sons, Xavier and Lance. And he is fortunate to have his mother, Marjorie McMillian, a retired Chicago public school teacher of 36 years, living near him and his family in Indianapolis.