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By Andrea Ciobanu, Ciobanu Law PC
There is a fascinating background on how the members of IndyBar’s Women & The Law Division were able to create a coloring book celebrating amazing women in Hoosier History. In a round-about way, this idea was inspired by Hoosier Women themselves, but it really became a reality because of both Judge Marchal’s daughter and my daughter.
While I practice extensively in civil rights, my background is in history and sociology I continue to study the fascinating history of civil rights, and I am inspired by civil rights advocates within our state. During my studies, I noticed a rich history in Indiana shaped by Hoosier women. For example, Polly Strong was an enslaved woman who took her case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1820, the Indiana Supreme Court found in her favor to be a free person; it was actually Polly’s case that set this precedent in Indiana, which was progressive at the time.
I found myself reflecting on our state’s fascinating history spearheaded by courageous women, wishing there were a succinct, exciting way to celebrate these women and get their stories out while making it fun for young Hoosiers. I wanted my daughter to appreciate history in a fun, age-appropriate way. I would often take her to various historical sites across the state. I felt that these excursions helped her appreciation and understanding of history grow, but I thought there may be something more that we could do. Some way to reach out to younger children, celebrate the history and the accomplishments of women without needing to travel. Plus there are women who deserve to be celebrated but are still alive. The hope was we could find a way to celebrate these heroines while inspiring young children to pursue their passions and create history of their own.
My daughter has a real love of art, and she is inspired by the art she works on. I have observed how my daughter learns and retains complex concepts through art, all while enjoying the creative process. I thought we could celebrate these historical women through art; something younger children would enjoy and appreciate. I knew there must be a way we could explain this history in a simple way that younger generations could understand and be inspired by. It’s important for every young child to be able to relate to a role model in his or her own community, as well as their own background. I wanted the project to include a diverse array of roles to connect their stories to as many children as possible. And so, the coloring book idea was born.
Admittedly, it was a challenge to complete the coloring books from design through print. First, there was nothing like this that we could find, so we had to create it from scratch. Second, we were a group of lawyers, not artists, so there were inherent challenges developing the coloring-basis of the book. Third, we had no funding for the project at inception. Fourth, to comply with judicial cannons we were not permitted to charge for the coloring book, (we wanted to include all of our female judges who were the “first,” in appellate, state, federal, and tax courts). And fifth, there were several copyright laws we also had to be mindful of. When I was chair of the Women & the Law Division in 2022, we formed a Coloring Book team mainly comprised of myself, Judge Helen Marchal, Rani Amani, Olivia Hess, Laura Iosue, and Magistrate Pauline Beeson.
When we reached out to the women we wanted to highlight they were very welcoming of this novel idea. In addition to Indiana’s Copyright laws, we had to adhere to Indiana’s Right to Publicity Laws. We were able to include historical figures that were deceased more than one hundred (100) years without express permission, as they are now considered historical figures. Our team reached out to known family members to get permission for others who did not fit in the historical figure category. We were determined to include Hoosier women from a variety of academic and ethnic backgrounds and geographical areas, so we contacted groups such as NAPABA (National Asian Pacific American Bar Association) for suggestions on who to include.
The historical background we provide in the book is easy for children to understand, yet still profound. Following the story of a young Gabby, the coloring book explains what state, federal, appellate, and tax courts are, outlines how women have impacted and shaped the legal community, and even outlines impressive Hoosier women not in the field of law. Gabby discovers the multitude of ways women have, and can continue, to make an impact and shape history. The coloring book concludes by inviting the reader to draw themselves as a successful Hoosier. You can view a complete list and the bios of all the included women by visiting www.indybar.org/coloring.
Completing the coloring book took much longer than anyone anticipated– it was a project more than three years in the making! We determined that we would not charge for the book to be ensure we would be able to include our female judges. To finish the book without funding, we had to find an artist that would volunteer their time and talents. After two failed collaborations, Judge Marchal, 2023 Chair of the Women & the Law Division, mentioned that her daughter, Natalie, was an aspiring and talented artist who may be willing to volunteer her time. Thanks to Natalie and Judge Marchal, the project was finally ready to send to print!
After being published, we were blown away by the interest of our legal community. Many wanted to support our project and its goal to inspire young people to pursue their passions and their dreams. To those who have already donated in support of the project, thank you! And to those reading this ready to support it, thank you in advance! You can visit www.indybarfoudnation.org/coloring book to learn how you can support the coloring book project.•
Andrea Ciobanu practices at Ciobanu Law PC in Indianapolis, primarily representing civil right, civil litigation, domestic relations, and appeals. She is an at-large member of IndyBar’s Women & the Law Division’s Executive Committee. Cionabu is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation.
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