Areas of Practice

• Personal Injury and Wrongful Death
• Criminal Defense
• Divorce and Family Law
• Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning
• Business and Commercial Law
• Insurance Bad Faith Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Indiana, 2003
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana, 2003
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, 2003
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2003
• U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit, 2004
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2005
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2006

Education

• Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Indiana, 2002
  J.D.
  Honors: Special Commendation for Pro Bono Externship
  Honors: Honor Papers in Pretrial Skills and Advanced Appellate Advocacy
  Law Review: Valparaiso University Law Review, Associate Editor
  
  
• Indiana University - Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, 1998
  B.A.
  Honors: Dean's List (4 Semesters)
  Major: English Literature
  Minor: History
  
  

Published Works

• "Failing to Provide Police Protection: Breeding a Viable and Consistent 'State-Created Danger' Analysis for Establishing Constitutional Violations Under Section 1983", 37 Valparaiso University Law Review 1, Fall, 2002
• "Preparing Your Client for Deposition Testimony", American Bar Association - The Young Lawyer, July/August, 2005
• "How to Deal With an Objection of Privilege Based on Indiana's Peer Review Statute During the Course of Pre-Trial Discovery", Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, VERDICT, 2005
• "And Just Where Do You Think You're Going?": Police Detention of Passenger Who Walks Away From Vehicle During Traffic Stop, Res Gestae, March, 2006
• "Indiana's New 'Communication of Sympathy' Statute: Saying 'I'm Sorry' In the Context of Medical Malpractice and Other Personal Injury Accidents", Indiana Lawyer, (Vol. 17, No. 8) June/July, 2006
• "Groundless Cases Still Get Into Court", Indiana Lawyer (Featured Interview), (Vol. 17, No. 10) July/August, 2006
• "A Brief Review of What Types of Claims Fall Within and Outside the Scope of Indiana's Medical Malpractice Act", Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, VERDICT, 2006
• "A Modest Proposal: Submitting a Joint Discovery Plan In Federal Court", American Bar Association - The Young Lawyer, September, 2006
• "Waiver of Right Forms Under Miranda: Not a Ritual of Words to be Recited by Rote According to Didactic Niceties", Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Vol. XI, No. 1, December, 2006
• "Recovering Damages for Tortious Injury to Historic Buildings and Other 'Special Purpose' Property In Indiana: Drawing the Line Between Fair Market Value and Cost Repair' In Cases of Permanent Damage", Res Gestae, December, 2006
• "A Case of Bad Breath: Does the Odor of an Alcoholic Beverage, By Itself, Establish Probable Cause for a Police Officer to Offer Chemical Test In the Context of DWI Offenses?", Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Vol. XII, No. 1, May, 2007
• "Supreme Court Clarifies Five Exceptions to Nonliability Involving Personal Injury Claims Asserted by a Contractor's Employee", Indiana Civil Litigation Review (publication of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana), Vol. 3, No. 2, May, 2007
• "Brendlin v. California: Supreme Court Holds That a Passenger Is "Seized" for Fourth Amendment Purposes and Can Challenge Legality of a Traffic Stop", Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Vol. XII, No. 2, October, 2007
• "The Attorney Commitment In Traumatic Brain Injury Cases", American Bar Association - The Young Lawyer, November, 2007
• "Federal Preemption of State Law Claims Involving Class III Medical Devices", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Trial Journal, Vol. 10, No. 1, Winter, 2007
• "Calm the Child Witness", TRIAL, Journal of the American Association for Justice (formerly American Trial Lawyers Association), February, 2008
• "Coughing It Up: Indiana Supreme Court Holds That Police Chokeholds Are Unreasonable Searches and Seizures", Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Vol. XIII, No. 1, February, 2008
• "Reducing the State's Cut: Amending Indiana's Split-Award Statute In Punitive Damage Cases", The Indiana Litigator, Newsletter of the Litigation Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Summer, 2008
• "Representing Children In Cases Involving Wrongful Death of a Parent", Res Gestae, July/August, 2008
• "Estoppel to Extend Insurance Coverage Based on Bad Faith", Indiana Civil Litigation Review (publication of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana, Vol 5., No. 2, November, 2008

Representative Cases

• Carl Richard v. State, 820 N.E.2d 749 (Ind. Ct. App. 2005)
• Masick v. McColly Realtors, Inc. and Saxon Drywall, 858 N.E.2d 682 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006)
• Cincinnati Insurance Co. v. Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc., et al., 2006 WL 299064 (N.D. Ind. 2006)
• Ryan-Louie v. DeFazio, 2007 WL 433067 (N.D. Ind. 2007)
• Wheeler v. Lawson, 2007 WL 844870 (N.D. Ind. 2007)
• Walker v. Martin, et al., 862 N.E.2d 330 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007)
• Beatty v. Martin, et al., 868 N.E.2d 73 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007)
• Bob Anderson Pontiac d/b/a Mike Anderson Chevrolet of Merrillville, Inc. v. Indiana Department of Workforce Development, 867 N.E.2d 282 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007)
• Cincinnati Insurance Co. v. Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc., et al., 2007 WL 2609829 (N.D. Ind. 2007)
• Putman v. Lima Auto Mall, Inc., 2008 WL 2444677 (N.D. Ind. 2008)
• Wheeler v. Lawson, 539 F.3d 629 (7th Cir. 2008)
• Hunt v. State, 902 N.E.2d 911 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009 )
• Hartoin v. State, 908 N.E.2d 711 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009 )
• Robinson v. State, 910 N.E.2d 270 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009 )
• Miller v. State, 916 N.E.2d 193 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009 )
• Bell v. State, 915 N.E.2d 1048 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009 )

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Featured Speaker, "Civil Rights and DWI", Crown Point, Indiana, 2004
• Lecturer, Topics In Medical Malpractice Law, Health Careers Exploration Class, Century Career Center, Logansport High School, 2006

Honors and Awards

• Honors Paper in Pretrial Skills, Criminal Pleadings and Advanced Appellate Advocacy
• Ranked upper 1/3 in Legal Writing and Research
• Special Commendation for 41 hours of Pro Bono Externship
• Harrison Legal Writing Award (First-Place Recipient), 2006
• Harrison Legal Writing Award (Second-Place Recipient), 2008

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Cass County Bar Association
  Member
  
  
• Indiana State Bar Association
  Member
  
  
• Indiana Trial Lawyers Association
  Member
  
  
• American Association of Justice
  Member
  
  
• American Immigration Lawyers Association
  Member
  
  
• Brain Injury Association of Indiana
  Member
  
  
• Civil Justice Foundation
  Member
  
  
• Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section - Indiana State Bar Association, 2007 - 2008
  Editor
  
  
• Logansport-Cass County Chamber of Commerce
  Member
  
  
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  Life Member
  
  
• Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  Life Member
  
  
• Cass Circuit Court, 2009
  Judge, pro tempore
  
  

Pro Bono Activities

• Participant, Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee, Literacy Volunteers of Cass County, 2005
• Judge, Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee, Literacy Volunteers of Cass County, 2006
• Chief Organizer and Tour Guide, Law Day at Cass County Courthouse, 2006
• Member, Cass County Community Foundation Scholarship Committee, 2008
• Volunteer, Muscular Dystrophy Fundraiser, 2008
• Tour Guide, Law Day at Cass County Courthouse, 2008
• Donation to David Downs Cancer Fundraiser, 2009
• Donation to Breast Cancer Walk (Porter County), 2009
• Donation to Emmaus Mission Center, 2010
• Donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cass County Bowl for Kids' Sake, 2010
• Donation to United Way of Cass County, 2010
• Donation to Cass County Historical Society, 2009 - 2010