Areas Of Practice
- Automobile Accidents
- Semi-Truck Accidents
- Wrongful Death
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Moped Accidents
- Dog Bites
- Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
- Construction Injuries
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Bus Crashes
- Three-Wheeler, Four Wheeler and ATV Accidents
- Airplane/Boat/Train Crashes
- Birth Injuries
- Nursing Home Injuries
- Pharmacy Mistakes
- Burns/Fires/Explosions
- Dismemberment
- Slip and Fall
- Drowning
- School and Playground Injuries
- Sex Abuse at School/Daycare
- Daycare Injuries
- Defective Products
- Civil Rights/Police Misconduct
- Underinsured/Uninsured Motorist Claims
- Insurance Bad Faith
- Insurance Claims
- Felonies
- Misdemeanors
- Drunk Driving/OWI/DUI
- Minor Consumption
- Driving While Suspended/Without a License
- Marijuana/All Other Drug Offenses
- Battery
- Domestic Battery
- Criminal Confinement
- Disorderly Conduct
- Robbery
- Theft
- Sex Crimes
- Trespass
- Arson
- Firearm Offenses
- Forgery
- Fraud
- Homicide – Murder/Manslaughter
- Habitual Traffic Violator
- Traffic Offenses
- Bond Reduction
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 District of Columbia Circuit, 2004
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2003
- U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2005
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2006
Education
- Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Indiana
- J.D. - 2002
- Honors: Special Commendation for Pro Bono Externship
- Honors: Honor Papers in Pretrial Skills and Advanced Appellate Advocacy
- Indiana University - Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana
- B.A. - 1998
- 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
- "Holding a Surgeon Liable for Medical Negligence of Another Under the 'Captain-of-the Ship' Doctrine", Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, VERDICT, 2010
- "Recovery for Separate Acts of Negligence Under Indiana Medical Malpractice Act", Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, VERDICT, 2011
Representative Cases
- Richard v. State, 820 N.E.2d 749, 2005, Ind. Ct. App.
- Masick v. McColly Realtors, Inc. and Saxon Drywall, 858 N.E.2d 682, 2006, Ind. Ct. App.
- Cincinnati Insurance Co. v. Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc., et al., 2006 WL 299064, 2006, N.D. Ind.
- Ryan-Louie v. DeFazio, 2007 WL 433067, 2007, N.D. Ind.
- Wheeler v. Lawson, 2007 WL 844870, 2007, N.D. Ind.
- Walker v. Martin, et al., 862 N.E.2d 330, 2007, Ind. Ct. App.
- Beatty v. Martin, et al., 868 N.E.2d 73, 2007, Ind. Ct. App.
- Bob Anderson Pontiac d/b/a Mike Anderson Chevrolet of Merrillville, Inc. v. Indiana Department of Workforce Development, 867 N.E.2d 282, 2007, Ind. Ct. App.
- Cincinnati Insurance Co. v. Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc., et al., 2007 WL 2609829, 2007, N.D. Ind.
- Putman v. Lima Auto Mall, Inc., 2008 WL 2444677, 2008, N.D. Ind.
- Wheeler v. Lawson, 539 F.3d 629, 2008, 7th Cir.
- Hunt v. State, 902 N.E.2d 911, 2009, Ind. Ct. App.
- Hartoin v. State, 908 N.E.2d 711, 2009, Ind. Ct. App.
- Robinson v. State, 910 N.E.2d 270, 2009, Ind. Ct. App.
- Miller v. State, 916 N.E.2d 193, 2009, Ind. Ct. App.
- Bell v. State, 915 N.E.2d 1048, 2009, Ind. Ct. App.
- Holmes v. State, 923 N.E.2d 479, 2010, Ind. Ct. App.
- Van Orden v. State, 924 N.E.2d 226, 2010, Ind. Ct. App.
- Miller v. State, 924 N.E.2d 680, 2010, Ind. Ct. App.
- Patterson v. State, 926 N.E.2d 90, 2010, Ind. Ct. App.
- Skinner v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company d/b/a Metlife, 2010 WL 2175834, 2010, N.D. Ind.
- State ex rel. Berkshire v. City of Logansport, 928 N.E.2d 587, 2010, Ind. Ct. App.
- Snowberger v. State, 938 N.E.2d 294, 2010, Ind. Ct. App.
- Fording v. State, 941 N.E.2d 565, 2011, Ind. Ct. App.
- Rush v. State, 941 N.E.2d 569, 2011, Ind. Ct. App.
- Ogle v. State, 943 N.E.2d 445, 2011, Ind. Ct. App.
- Vazquez v. State, 944 N.E.2d 10, 2011, Ind. Ct. App.
- Miller v. State, 944 N.E.2d 578 , 2011, Ind. Ct. App.
- Crowder v. State, 945 N.E.2d 829, 2011, Ind. Ct. App.
- Justice v. State, 946 N.E.2d 93, 2011, Ind. Ct. App.
- Downs v. State, 950 N.E.2d 376 , 2011, Ind. Ct. App.
- Patton v. State, , 972 N.E.2d 418 , 2012, Ind. Ct. App.
- Barrett v. City of Logansport, et al., 961 N.E.2d 70 , 2012, Ind. Ct. App.
- Mateo v. State, 974 N.E.2d 602, 2012, Ind. Ct. App.
- State v. Gonzalez-Vazquez, 984 N.E.2d 704 , 2013, Ind. Ct. App
- Lewis v. New Prime Inc, No. 1:10-cv-1228-WSD , 2013, N.D. Ga. – Atlanta Div.
- Phillips v. Mills, 42 N.E.3d 174, 2015, Ind. Ct. App.
- Vance v. Phillips, 42 N.E.3d 174, 2015, Ind. Ct. App.
- Torres-Reynoso v. State, 42 N.E.3d 586, 2015, Ind. Ct. App.
Classes/Seminars
- Featured Speaker, "Civil Rights and DWI", Crown Point, Indiana, 2004 to 2004
- Lecturer, Topics In Medical Malpractice Law, Health Careers Exploration Class, Century Career Center, Logansport High School, 2006 to 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)
- Harrison Legal Writing Award (Second-Place Recipient)
- Award, Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America
- Award, “Top 10 Under 40” in Indiana, National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Cass County Bar Association, Member
- Indiana State Bar Association, Member
- Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, Member
- American Association of Justice, Member
- The National Trial Lawyers, Member
- Brain Injury Association of Indiana, Member
- Civil Justice Foundation, Member
- Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section - Indiana State Bar Association, Editor, 2007 to 2008
- Logansport-Cass County Chamber of Commerce, Member
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Life Member
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Life Member
- Elite Lawyers of America, Life Member
- National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, Member
- Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America, Member
- Cass Circuit Court, Judge, pro tempore, 2009
Pro Bono Activities
- Participant, Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee, Literacy Volunteers of Cass County, 2005 to 2005
- Judge, Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee, Literacy Volunteers of Cass County, 2006 to 2006
- Chief Organizer and Tour Guide, Law Day at Cass County Courthouse, 2006 to 2006
- Member, Cass County Community Foundation Scholarship Committee, 2008 to 2008
- Volunteer, Muscular Dystrophy Fundraiser, 2008 to 2008
- Tour Guide, Law Day at Cass County Courthouse, 2008 to 2008
- Board of Directors, Cass County Historical Society, 2010 to 2011
- Founder, Indiana State Trooper Daniel R. Barrett Memorial Scholarship