Off the Record with James Bell

Today, James asks the question, "What About Going Federal?" and who better to ask than U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Indiana, Hon. Jane Magnus-Stinson. James and Judge Magnus-Stinson discuss topics vital to the survival of the American justice system including mansplaining, the definition of a highway, who has the best presidential handshake, the Talking Heads, U2, Harper Lee, Jeff Sessions, John Boy, and so much more!  Finally, we wrap up the show with our "big winners" and our "big losers."Today's podcast was brought to you by Rebecca W. Geyer and Associates, PC (https://www.rgeyerlaw.com/). Intro: (0:00 - 0:56)Judge Magnus-Stinson Interview Part 1: (0:57 - 32:25)Rebecca W. Geyer & Associates PC Sponsorship (32:26 - 33:57)Judge Magnus-Stinson Interview Part 2: (33:58 - 47:19)Closing: (47:21 - 49:27)

James Bell returns to the mic with his new podcast, What About? with James Bell! Featuring guests based in Indianapolis to New York City, tune in every other week beginning Tuesday, April 9th to here James ask the question, "What about?"

Accomplished Indy criminal defense attorney Bob Hammerle of Hackman Hulett LLP has devoted almost as much time to his love of film as he has to the legal profession. During this episode of Off the Record, host Kerry Bennett chats with Bob about his journey in the profession, some memorable experiences, advice for new lawyers and his picks and pans in the movie world. Learn more about Bob's legal career at https://hackmanhulett.com/attorneys/robert-w-hammerle/; his movie reviews can be found at https://bigmouthbobs.com/. 

The Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt became Chief Judge of the United States District Court of for the Southern District of Indiana on March 20, 2021. She is the first person of color to serve as the Southern District of Indiana's chief judge, and the tenth chief judge in the court's history. In this episode, host Bianca Black chats with Judge Pratt to find out how she made her way to the federal bench, her advice on trusting your instincts AND staying in your comfort zone and some lesser-known facts about the judge's favorite pastimes. 

With more than four decades of experience, Hoover Hull Turner partner David Herzog has had a front row seat to the continued evolution of civil litigation.  Join host Eric Schmadeke of Densborn Blachly  LLP to talk about the state of jury trials, how newer lawyers can build their practices and more.

After of year of pandemic-related stress and challenges, people across the world are still struggling, and of course, legal professionals in our own community are no exception. When it gets to be too much, where can you go for help? Off the Record host Kerry Hyatt Bennett is here with Loretta Oleksy of the Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP) to help figure it all out. Together, Loretta and Kerry demystify JLAP and talk about the impact of the collective trauma we’ve all experienced together. JLAP has typically been associated with alcohol and addiction issues, but services and resources offered by the organization go much further. JLAP, which is a safe haven thanks to Rule 8.3 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, is a remarkable asset that can help with various mental health issues, concerns about colleagues, situational stressors, which can include grief, parenting, divorce, caregiving, and more. JLAP is prepared to offer much-needed support to our legal community, whether that means using

Off the Record is back for 2021, and we're welcoming some new faces to the team! Join us as we meet three new hosts who will help bring even more stories of Indy's lawyers to life: Kerry Hyatt Bennett of the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Bianca Black of Littler Mendelson PC and Eric Schmadeke of Densborn Blachly LLP.Show Notes:OnyxFest Who the Bleep Did I Marry (subscription required)2021 Bench Bar Conference

Winfield Ong is an experienced federal litigator and the former criminal chief for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana. In addition, he is a President Obama judicial nominee for the U.S. District Court, and he is a current white collar criminal defense attorney at Dentons Bingham Greenebaum. During this interview, the main topics of discussion were Winfield's journey through the judicial nomination process and Attorney General Bill Barr's decision to move to dismiss the criminal case against General Michael Flynn. Since then, unrest has swept the nation as a result of the killing of George Floyd. Though this interview took place several days beforehand and the topics seemed unrelated at first, many themes included are relevant and valuable to the situation we find ourselves in today: the rule of law, the power and discretion that lawyers have, and how that power should never be abused. 

The death of George Floyd has sparked outrage across the country and brought the many issues surrounding systemic racism to the forefront. Our community is no exception. Difficult conversations are starting to happen, and amid the protests, anger and tears, many have questioned what they can do to help. In this special episode of Off the Record, host James Bell talks with two Indiana bar leaders, Michael Tolbert and Jimmie McMillian, who provide their perspective on the situation. Michael Tolbert is an attorney in the Gary, Indiana firm of Tolbert & Tolbert, where he is a respected litigator and frequent presenter. He is a two-time president of the James C. Kimbrough Minority Bar Association, past president of the Porter County Chapter of the American Inns of Court, President of the Lake County Bar Association and is currently President-Elect of the Indiana State Bar Association, where he will serve as president in 2021.Jimmie McMillian is a former law clerk to Justice Frank Sullivan and a former partner

Roger Penske assumed ownership of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in January 2020. Just three months later, the greatest spectacle in racing was rescheduled from May to August amid this unprecedented public health crisis. Writer Tom Chiarella talks about a recent interview with Penske, plus his own personal experience with the COVID-19 pandemic during this episode of Off the Record with James Bell.

Before he took his seat on the Marion Superior Court bench, Judge PJ Dietrick had a decidedly different career as a minor league baseball player. Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 6th round of the 1984 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, Judge Dietrick made his way from Medford, Oregon to Tacoma, Washington (with a few stops along the way) as he chased his baseball dreams. Join us as host James Bell chats with Judge Dietrick about his past baseball life, including run-ins with stars like Mark McGwire.

Thanks to the wonders of technology, we're bringing you new episodes of Off the Record with James Bell during this time of isolation and social distancing. In this episode, James talks with Judge Marc Rothenberg of Marion Superior Court.

Enjoy one of our favorite episodes of Off the Record, where host James Bell talks with Monica Foster of the Indiana Federal Community Defenders about arguing at the U.S. Supreme Court, her experience defending 15-year-old death who was sentenced to death, the Buffalo Bills and more. Plus, enjoy a brand new intro that explores a question every attorney has pondered: would a Hufflepuff make a good lawyer? 

One writer got a chance to follow attorney to the stars and Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz as he prepared for his historic argument against the impeachment of President Donald Trump. That writer was Tom Chiarella, Esquire columnist and Professor Emeritus at DePauw University. In addition to Dershowitz, Chiarella has interviewed and profiled celebrities like Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, James Franco, Clive Owen, Kate Beckinsale, Ryan Gosling, Guy Ritchie, Halle Berry, Ben Affleck, Billy Crudup, Ashton Kutcher and Bill Clinton. Join us for this episode of Off the Record with James Bell where we talk to Tom about the experience of shadowing Dershowitz, how interviewing celebrities relates to the practice of law and the answer every Colts fan wants to know: who's a nicer guy, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning?

Join us as we chat with America's favorite law school dean, Dean Andy Klein of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Dean Klein shares his path to academia, what's happening in law schools these days and his plans for the future after he steps down as dean later this year. 

It's a new decade for the IndyBar, and leading the association into it is President Andy Campbell, a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath. In this episode, we talk law firm mergers, political science and life at the University of Montana, work/life balance, what's next for the IndyBar and more.

Tune in for important IndyBar updates and musings on celebrities and second chances. 

A number of notable things happened in 1948. One of them? Indianapolis lawyer Philip "Skip" Kappes passed the bar and became a practicing attorney. Since then, he's lived through countless changes in the profession and in our community. Some things have stayed the same, though. Join us on this episode as we chat with one of Indy's legal legends. 

Female representation on the bench appears to be at an all-time high in Indiana, with women leading the Indiana Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, the  U.S. Bankrupcty Court for the Southern District of Indiana, the Indiana Court of Appeals, the Marion Superior Court and more. But where do we stand with women in private practice?Frost Brown Todd Indianapolis office Member in Charge Heather Wilson joined us to talk about leading a large law firm in Indianapolis and about diversity trends she's seeing in private practice.