Frost Brown Todd (FBT) Indianapolis Member Julia Blackwell Gelinas is being recognized for her distinction in the legal profession with the 2016 Indiana Women of Achievement Award by Ball State University. The award will be given at a formal reception at the university on October 19.
Gelinas is an appellate lawyer who has participated in over 500 appeals throughout the course of her career. She has served as the chair of the FBT (formerly Locke Reynolds, LLP) Appellate Practice Group for more than 20 years. She also served as chair of Locke Reynolds Management Committee from 2000 to 2005, one of very few women to hold that title in Indiana. In addition to her appellate practice, she represents lawyers before the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. She served as a member of the Disciplinary Commission from 1991 to 2001, and as its Chair, 1999 – 2001.
Gelinas is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. She has also been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America©, Chambers USA® and Indiana Super Lawyers®, including theTop 25 Female Super Lawyers in Indiana listing (2004 – 2016). She was a recipient of the Antoinette Dakin Leach Award in 2010, and an Indiana Lawyer 2016 Leadership in Law Distinguished Barrister. She was included in the Indianapolis Business Journal and Indiana Lawyer’s “Women to Watch in 2000.” Gelinas earned her J.D. at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law and has served as a member of the McKinney School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors, and as President (1992 – 1994).
The Indiana Women of Achievement Awards have recognized outstanding contributions of women over the past 17 years. Nominees are drawn from many walks of life and display a variety of talents. Awardees have included judges, a university president, educators, business innovators, artists and other community leaders, recognized for their significant contributions to the world. Additional awards this year will be presented to: Dr. Maude Jennings (Distinction in Community Service), Ms. Carol Tumey (Distinction in Leadership in Women’s Athletics), Judge Marianne L. Vorhees (Distinction in Community Leadership) and Dr. Lynne Weisenbach (Distinction in Educational Leadership.)