News Archive

Indianapolis is IU McKinney’s home and with so many of our alumni calling Indiana home, of course there are several law school connections to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. In celebration of the month of May, here are a few:

Kyle Fairchild, J.D. ’12, corporate counsel at Penske Entertainment

Fairchild was born and grew up in Indianapolis, and knew he wanted to remain here once he completed his legal education. He talked about IU McKinney’s huge advantage for law students interested in sports law. Fairchild spent the first part of his legal career working in college athletics and says he wouldn’t have known his job existed without his externship at the NCAA during law school.

Gretchen Snelling, J.D. ’95, general counsel at Penske Entertainment

Snelling said she loved being at IU McKinney because she loved being in Indianapolis. She encouraged law students to take advantage of being in such close proximity to the local legal community during law school. Her ability to at a major law firm during while a law student also made the transition to practice much easier, she said.

Jimmie McMillian, J.D. ’02, senior corporate counsel and chief diversity officer at Penske Entertainment

McMillian said he is proud of IU McKinney and everything the school’s graduates have accomplished throughout the law school’s history. He also said he’s proud of the students he mentors and the way he has seen them thrive in the community. He also extends that pride to himself. The opportunity to go to IU McKinney, he said, “is directly related to the opportunity to be a black man who’s at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway working as the senior corporate counsel and chief diversity officer. And being able to make change. I think that’s the story of IU McKinney grads. Having that global impact and being able to make positive changes in any situation that you’re in.”

Doug Boles, J.D. ’00, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Boles wanted to earn a law degree in part because of the positive influence of his his father, retired Hendricks Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Boles, J.D. ’74, and in part because of the work he was doing at the time he applied to law school. Boles was lobbying for the mayor of Indianapolis and said he wanted to earn a law degree to continue that work. He no longer practices law, but his law degree is invaluable to the work he presently does at IMS.

“I use my law degree every day even though I’m not practicing law. It helps you to think better. It helps you to organize your thoughts and your arguments whether you’re selling or getting ready for trial. So it’s helped me every day. I’ve encouraged students and people who are thinking about a law degree that even if they don’t really want to bill hours, that law degree is never a bad thing to have.”

But these aren’t the only Indianapolis 500 connections that IU McKinney has. Elizabeth Baker is a 500 Festival Princess, a medical student at the IU School of Medicine, and the daughter of Professor Cynthia Baker.

In the photo from left are Kyle Fairchild, Jimmie McMillian, Gretchen Snelling, and Doug Boles.