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By Lee C. Christie, Christie Farrell Lee & Bell PC, 2022 Chair of the Masters Division
Created in 2022, the Masters Division of the Indianapolis Bar Association provides resources and programming for lawyers in our local legal community who have 25 years or more of service to our profession. The IndyBar recognizes the unique abilities and needs of practitioners with 25 years or more tenure in the practice of law, and the Masters Division seeks to proactively address the issues facing the IndyBar’s most experienced members.
Leadership and Vision
We are excited to have a very experienced and accomplished group of judges and attorneys who comprise the Masters Division Executive Committee. The impressive list includes:
Chief Bankruptcy Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court, Honorable Robyn Moberly
Marion County Superior Court Judge, Honorable Cynthia Ayers
Past IndyBar President, Phil Isenbarger
Past IndyBar President, Scott Chinn
2021 IU McKinney Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Lacy Johnson
Educational Programs
The Masters Division provides advanced continuing legal education through a series of topical seminars to help educate its members. This year’s continuing legal education topics include:
• Technology Tips for Practitioners (July 27) with Seth Wilson and Katherine Franke.
• Career Navigation — Plotting The Course from a Financial and Career Perspective (Sept. 1) with Kevin McGoff, Nicole McGoff, Rebecca Geyer and Lora Mount.
• Negotiating Tips & Strategies from the Defense, Plaintiff and Court’s Perspectives (Oct. 12) with The Honorable Cynthia Ayres, Phil Isenbarger and Lee Christie.
• Cybersecurity: Recognize Risks and How to Protect Yourself (Nov. 10) with Michael Dowie from CRC Group and Alison Vilches of Corvus Insurance.
Registration for the upcoming programs will be available soon at indybar.org/events, While all of these programs are primarily aimed at more experienced practitioners, they will provide information and practice tips for all levels of experience.
Mentoring
The Masters Division provides one-on-one mentoring for lawyers who want to connect with an established and experienced lawyer to help them navigate their legal careers and establish networking relationships. Partnering with the Professionalism Committee’s Mentor Connect Program, the Masters Division strives to assist in the development of the young attorneys in our community. Many accomplished attorneys have volunteered to be mentors to new lawyers who seek mentorship, direction and leadership in their careers. Feel free to reach out to Professionalism Committee chair Chase Wilson at indybar.org/prof if you would like to connect with a mentor through the IndyBar.
Honoring the Community
The Masters Division sponsors the annual Celebration of Law and Career event, which recognizes those lawyers achieving their 50th and 25th years in the practice of law. This event will take place in late October.
In addition, the Masters Division serves as the annual convener of the IndyBar Association & Foundation leaders for consideration of a worthy recipient of The Luminary Award. This award is meant to recognize an exemplary individual who has made significant contributions to the legal profession and who has achieved a level of excellence that has advanced the profession as a whole in the Indianapolis community. Past award winners include: Honorable Tanya Walton-Pratt (2021); Honorable Jane Magnus-Stinson (2012), James H. Voyles Jr. (2011); Thomas Davis (2009); Neil Shook (dec., (2002); and Honorable Sarah Evans Barker (1998), among others.
Get Involved and Stay Engaged
As chair of the Masters Division, I want to help the members of our legal community who have more than 25 years of experience to stay involved and engaged with the IndyBar and its members. With the knowledge and experience of practicing 25 years or more, we can provide valuable resources to help guide and mold our younger attorneys. We are here to help our members stay engaged with the IndyBar by providing advanced-level CLEs, mentoring opportunities, social events and much more. Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or to any of our committee members with suggestions or ideas about how we can better serve our experienced practitioners.•
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