Meet Rural Justice Initiative Participant Brian Ledley
08/06/2025
Brian Ledley is vice president of communications and patient experience for Pulaski Memorial Hospital in northern Indiana. He’s a 2L in the evening division at IU McKinney and took part in the Rural Justice Initiative in summer 2025.
Where are you originally from?
I am originally from Brewster, New York, which is located about 50 miles north of New York City. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Fordham University in 2005. I work full-time and do law school part-time.
I am the vice president of communications and patient experience for Pulaski Memorial Hospital, a small, rural, critical-access hospital in my hometown of Winamac, Indiana. My day-to-day role includes marketing the hospital’s providers and services, handling public relations and community engagement, and managing the hospital’s overall image throughout the communities we serve. In my role as vice president, I also serve on the hospital’s senior leadership team, working and collaborating with my colleagues to ensure the hospital’s future viability and success.
What made you want to become a lawyer? What brought you to IU McKinney?
I have always been interested in law. Growing up, I was raised in a family that owned a small business. From an early age, my parents instilled in me a strong work ethic and an understanding that success came by fostering healthy relationships based on honesty, integrity, and a desire to find the common good in our community. These teachings and a firm belief in serving others are why I feel called to the legal profession.
The hybrid part-time program is really what drew me to IU McKinney. Living an hour away from most ‘large’ communities made attending law school seem impossible. Family and career responsibilities made committing to four years of night classes unfeasible. However, the hybrid program provided the flexibility for me to attend classes while still being present at home and work.
Even applying to IU McKinney happened by chance. After discussing a legal matter at work, a colleague asked if I had ever considered law school. Out of curiosity, I went to the IU McKinney website and saw the school had started the hybrid program. After talking it over with my wife, I decided to apply – submitting my application on the final day of the application window.
What made you want to take part in the Rural Justice Initiative? What are you hoping to gain from the experience?
The biggest reason for taking part in the Rural Justice Initiative was to get hands-on legal experience. Working full-time made a traditional summer internship impossible, so I thought the RJI made sense for me to see how the workings of the profession were practiced locally in my hometown. In addition to witnessing trials, I hope to shadow other attorneys to see how they meet with and advise their clients and to see how opposing counsels interact with each other, both in and out of the courtroom.
Secondly, with two young children, I envision Winamac being our home for the foreseeable future. While my goal in attending law school was to become inside counsel for Pulaski Memorial, I recognize the need for attorneys locally in Pulaski County. No matter where or how I end up practicing, I want to see my local community thrive. So, I hope that by participating in the RJI, I can meet and interact with other attorneys and key community leaders and offer any assistance I can.
What are you doing as part of the Rural Justice Initiative?
As part of the RJI, I am interning with the Honorable Crystal A. Kocher, Pulaski County Superior Court judge. In my time with her, I have provided legal research, watched several hearings, both on criminal and civil matters, and watched a few criminal trials. I have also met with and shadowed two of the county’s public defenders and met with the county’s prosecuting attorneys. (In the photo, Ledley, left, is with Judge Crystal A. Kocher.)
Additionally, I am working with the court’s problem-solving court coordinator (Pulaski County already has veteran’s and drug treatment problem-solving courts) to discuss and investigate the formation of a mental health problem-solving court. This entailed talking with state officials and problem-solving court coordinators from other counties to discuss policies and procedures and other requirements needed for a mental health problem-solving court.
Anything else you’d like us to know about you?
I have been married to my wife, MacKenzie, for 18 years this year. She is also a graduate of IU Indy, earning her Master of Library Science from the School of Library and Information Sciences. She is the Executive Director of the Pulaski County Public Library in Winamac. We have two children: a son, Joseph, aged 11, and a daughter, Lillian, aged 6. I couldn’t be doing any of this without their love and support.
