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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe IndyBar Professionalism Committee has named Chief Justice Brent Dickson of the Indiana Supreme Court the 2014 recipient of the Silver Gavel Award, while Philip “Skip” Kappes of Lewis & Kappes has been awarded the bar’s Professionalism Award.
Kappes
DicksonBoth will be honored at the upcoming IndyBar Professionalism Luncheon to be held Tuesday, Sept. 30 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Hyatt Indianapolis. The luncheon will also feature special guest speaker Hon. John D. Tinder of the United States Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit. Registration for the luncheon can be found at indybar.org/events.
Chief Justice Brent Dickson was appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court in 1986 after 17 years as a general practice lawyer in Lafayette, Indiana. He has served as Chief Justice of Indiana since May 15, 2012. He will step down as Chief Justice on September 1 and will continue his role on the court as an associate justice. His nomination notes, “As Chief Justice, Justice Dickson has made a commitment to fostering civility in the profession. He leads by example as he always treats other – judges, lawyers and litigants – with respect and dignity. He embodies old-fashioned, but never outdated, gentility.”
Chief Justice Dickson has been a member of the IndyBar since 1968. In addition to his service to IndyBar, he has been appointed as a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure and serves on the Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices. Chief Justice Dickson is the founder of the Judicial Family Institute and co-founder of the Sagamore Chapter of the American Inns of Court in Indianapolis. He has served as an adjunct professor at Indiana University Maurer School of law and Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Chief Justice Dickson and his wife, Jan Aikman Dickson, have three adult sons and nine grandchildren.
Philip “Skip” Kappes was selected to receive the 2014 Professionalism Award. Kappes has been practicing law for 62 years and is a founding director of Lewis & Kappes. He has the second-longest active law license in the state. His nomination notes, “He is, at his core, a genuine and caring person. He has taken that personality and made his mark on this community and the legal profession. There is no one better suited to exemplify that you can reach the heights of your profession and keep respect for your fellow man intact.”
Kappes is a past president of the Indianapolis Bar Association, having served in 1970. In addition to his service to the legal community, Kappes has served as a past president of both the Children’s Museum Board of Trustees and the Crossroad Council Boy Scouts of America. He is currently the chairman of the Scottish Rite Foundation of Indianapolis. Kappes is a Trust Fund Trustee of Crossroad Council Boy Scouts of America and past trustee of Butler University. He is also a past chairman of the board of Fairbanks Hospital.
Kappes graduated from Butler University in 1945 and received his J.D. from University of Michigan in 1948. He has been a member of the IndyBar since 1948.•
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