In celebration of the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity’s (ICLEO) 20th anniversary, 160 judges, lawyers, program graduates, and supporters met in the Supreme Court Courtroom and welcomed former Chief Justice Randall Shepard to the podium with a standing ovation.
He told the story of ICLEO’s founding, which began with a few but powerful lines in his State of the Judiciary address and culminated in legislation that received overwhelming support in both the House and Senate.
Twenty years later, enthusiasm for the program remains unwavering as the Court continues to be dedicated to its success. Chief Justice Loretta Rush spoke of her longtime involvement with the program, assuring everyone that she is “in it for the long haul.”
Many speakers not only celebrated the merits of the program, but championed diversity and expressed gratitude towards former Chief Justice Shepard.
Chief Justice Rush acknowledged the need to see diversity in the legal profession by referring to the portraits of the Court’s former justices that surround the Courtroom walls. She pointed out that some of the fourth graders who tour the room only see a bunch of “mad men,” expressing that a diverse class of lawyers helps to create a diverse slate of judges.
Other speakers made similar comments, including Court of Appeals Judge Rudolph Pyle III, who painted a picture of a diverse world where “lawyers will look like all Hoosiers, judges will look like all Hoosiers, and the law will be more likely to be applied equally to all Hoosiers.”
ICLEO’s efforts undoubtedly work to create a more diverse legal profession. But for each of the alumni speakers, the program has had a personal effect on the direction of their lives.
For some, it gave them the opportunity to go to law school, something that would not have been an option without the program.
“I don’t know where I would be today, I don’t know if I would have had the opportunities that I’ve had, if not for the ICLEO program,” said President and CEO of Indianapolis Power & Light Company and ICLEO alum Rafael Sanchez.
For others, the program prepared them for the academic rigor of law school, setting them up for success.
“[We are] grateful for the knowledge and skills that we acquired through this program,” said Assistant Dean of Admissions at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and ICLEO alum Patricia Kinney.
While the event celebrated the program’s long-term success, it was also marked by an eagerness to continue the legacy by supporting the program at an administrative and personal level. Former Chief Justice Shepard gave advice to the graduating class of how they can do just that.
“There are two things that you can do that will matter,” he said. “The first is to go out and be the very best lawyers that you can possibly be, to prove that CLEO is a good idea. The second is to save a little time and energy for the lawyers coming up behind you.”
Program faculty and supporters took this advice to heart by dedicating themselves to the future and rising ICLEO graduates.
“We ask everyone to please pay it forward as we continue the ICLEO legacy of service to our profession and our community,” said Chastity Thompson, ICLEO alum and Assistant Dean, Office of Professional Development, and Adjunct Professor, at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
Chief Justice Rush affirmed the Court’s commitment to ICLEO, taking an opportunity to discuss where the program will go from here.
“We need to continue to grow the ICLEO program until the day that it is needed no more,” Chief Justice Rush said, “that it is obsolete.”
Applications for the next ICLEO class will be available in November 2017 at courts.in.gov/cleo.
