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Dr. David Hoa Khoa Nguyen, J.D. ’06, received the Dr. John Morton-Finney Award for Excellence in Legal Education from the Indianapolis Bar Association. Dr. Nguyen was honored for his commitment to advancing legal literacy in addition to his contributions to the legal profession and his local community.

Dr. Nguyen is an associate professor in the IU Indianapolis School of Education. He teaches and researches in the areas of education and law and policy. He also is an assistant professor of Urban Education Leadership and Policy and has taught at IU McKinney as an adjunct professor. He was a joint-degree student at IU McKinney, receiving an M.B.A. through the IU Kelley School of Business, in addition to his J.D.

Dr. Nguyen’s legal practice is dedicated to serving minority and marginalized communities, with a focus on refugees, immigrants, and English-language learners. There are six different languages spoken among members of the firm’s legal team, which helps ensure that clients receive legal services in their preferred language, assisting in eliminating language barriers and fostering trust. Through the firm’s free consultations and educational approach, clients are empowered to understand their legal rights and navigate the complex U.S. legal systems, which often differs significantly from the legal systems with which they are familiar.

As a tenured professor, Dr. Nguyen’s research and teaching is concentrated around legal literacy, educational diversity, and legal implications, focusing on issues like employment discrimination and educational attainment for marginalized communities. He advances legal literacy among educators and aspiring educational leaders, many of whom are non-lawyers, so that they not only comply with the law in their professional settings, but also empower themselves, their colleagues, students, and families in a world increasingly fraught with legal issues in education. Dr. Nguyen’s scholarly work contributes significantly to the field of law and education. He has published two books, over 20 peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles, and more than 10 scholarly book chapters. This does not include numerous legal publications accessible to communities through the Great Lakes Equity Center, one of four Technical Assistance Centers funded by the Civil Rights Office of the U.S. Department of Education.

Recently, Dr. Nguyen lent his expertise to the Indiana Supreme Court’s 2024 Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity (ICLEO) Summer Institute, where he served as an instructor, teaching Constitutional Law to a cohort of students embarking on their legal education.

In the broader community, Dr. Nguyen serves on the boards of organizations like the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana and Monarca Academy. He also regularly provides free legal clinics and presentations to diverse communities in central Indiana, collaborating with the Immigrant Welcome Center, Chin Community of Indiana, Indiana Legal Services, and local religious groups. Dr. Nguyen served as the pro bono director of Disaster Legal Services for six years, directing legal aid for low-income families during federally declared natural disasters. The book he edited, Meeting the Legal Needs of Disaster Survivors: Third Responders, was published by the American Bar Association in 2021.

Dr. Nguyen’s leadership roles with the Indiana State Bar Association Committee on Racial Diversity and the Indianapolis Bar Association Diversity Task Force, and his grant funded research project on the experiences of marginalized lawyers in Indiana, also demonstrate his commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. He dedicates much of his time mentoring law students and international law professionals, many of whom come from marginalized or foreign-born backgrounds. His firm also provides resources to help expand access to legal education, including LSAT scholarships. Many of these scholarships have awarded to students from the Indiana Burmese community, which is the largest Burmese community outside of Burma (Myanmar).

Dr. Nguyen’s efforts throughout his career have not gone unnoticed. He has been honored with the Diversity in Law Award by the Indiana Lawyer and the Reisman Award in Legal Excellence and Innovation by Clio.

About Dr. John Morton-Finney: Dr. John Morton-Finney (1889-1998) educator, lawyer, and humanitarian, was born in Kentucky to a former slave. Morton-Finney was a Buffalo Soldier (an elite army unit of black soldiers) in World War I, a teacher at historically black colleges, and taught Greek, Latin, German, Spanish, and French in Indianapolis Public Schools, including Crispus Attucks High School in Indiana.

Dr. Morton-Finney earned 12 college degrees including a law degree from IU McKinney in 1944. He earned his final degree at the age of 75. Dr. Morton-Finney practiced law until the age of 106, having worked in the field for nearly 85 years. At the time of his death at the age of 108, Morton-Finney is believed to be the longest practicing attorney in the United States.

From left are Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Patricia Kinney, J.D. ’02; Dr. Zelideh R. Martinez Hoy; Dr. David Hoa Khoa Nguyen, J.D. ’06; and IBA president David Duncan, J.D. ’04.