Skip to Main Content.

Practices

Biography

Stephanie focuses her practice in municipal law, employment law, and education law. She represents municipalities, counties, public entities, law enforcement agencies, and school corporations in employment-related matters, including employment litigation, arbitrations, and general employment counseling, and in a variety of state and federal constitutional challenges. She has represented clients in federal courts, federal appellate courts, state courts, and state appellate courts. While she primarily works in government services, she has handled all matters of general litigation including product liability and tort litigation, business disputes, commercial disputes, insurance defense, transportation law, and appellate practice.

Stephanie is a graduate of the Indianapolis Bar Association Bar Leader Series, Class XIII. She serves as the 2021 Chair of the Indianapolis Bar Association Public Policy Standing Committee. She served as the 2019 and 2020 Chair of the Indianapolis Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and as a member of the Indianapolis Bar Association Board of Directors for 2019 and 2020. For 2017-2018, she served as the Vice-Chair of the Legal Education Committee for the Indianapolis Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. She also serves as the Chair of the Employment Law Section of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana for 2021-2022. She is a member of the Indianapolis Bar Association, Indiana State Bar Association, Seventh Circuit Bar Association, and Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana. Stephanie is involved with Beyond Monumental and serves on the Strategic Planning Committee and on the Advisory Committee.

Other Info About Stephanie

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

Cortez v. Indiana University Health, Inc., 151 N.E.3d 332 (Ind. Ct. App. 2020), trans. denied – affirming trial court’s order that the case was within scope of the Medical Malpractice Act such that it first had to be presented to a medical review panel.

Chariton v. City of Hammond, 146 N.E.3d 927 (Ind. Ct. App. 2020), trans. denied. – affirming trial court’s order granting summary judgment that the Indiana Tort Claims Act applied to Plaintiff’s claims and Plaintiff did not substantially comply with the Indiana Tort Claims Act notice requirements.

Cynthia Jones, as personal representative of the Estate of Miranda Peoples, v. Kerry J. Forestal, in his official capacity of Sheriff of Marion County, et al., 2020 WL 1469832 (S.D. Ind. Mar. 26, 2020) – summary judgment granted on various claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and various state law claims arising from an in-custody suicide.

Brigid A. Ford v. Marion County Sheriff’s Department and the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, 270 F.Supp.3d 1059 (S.D. Ind. 2017), aff’d on appeal 942 F.3d 839 (7th Cir. 2019) – complete defense verdict obtained after week-long federal court jury trial on failure to accommodate and hostile work environment claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Jesse Norwood v. East Allen County Schools, 2018 WL 4680008 (N.D. Ind. Sept. 28, 2018), aff’d on appeal Norwood v. East Allen County Schools, 825 Fed.Appx. 383 (7th Cir. 2020), reh’g and reh’g en banc denied – summary judgment granted on race discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII and 42 U.S.C. § 1981.

James E. Mitchell v. Muncie Community Schools, 2017 WL 2985638 (S.D. Ind. July 13, 2017) – summary judgment granted on race discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII.

Indianapolis Pub. Transp. Corp. v. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1070 – arbitrator upheld the employer’s decision to terminate a long-term employee for gross negligence.

In the Matter of Mandate of Funds for the Lake Superior Court; Lake County Council and Lake County Auditor – defended one of Indiana’s most populous counties in a Rule 60.5 Mandate of Funds action.

Education

Law School

Washington University School of Law, J.D., 2012

Undergraduate School

Cornell University, B.A. with distinction, Government and History; Law and Society minor, 2009, magna cum laude

Clerkships

Stephanie served as a clerk for the court(s) and judge(s) below:

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Honorable Nannette A. Baker, Chief Magistrate Judge

Bar Memberships

Stephanie is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Indiana, 2012

Courts

Stephanie is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

State of Indiana

United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

Indy’s Best and Brightest, 2021 Finalist “Law”

Indiana Super Lawyers® Rising Stars, 2018-2020

Young Lawyers Division Distinguished Leader Award, Indianapolis Bar Association, 2020

Up & Coming Lawyer, Indiana Lawyer, Leadership in Law Awards, 2019

Young Lawyer of the Year, Indianapolis Bar Association, 2019

Distinguished Fellow, Indianapolis Bar Foundation, 2019

Indianapolis Bar Association, Bar Leader Series, Class XIII

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

Indianapolis Bar Association

Indiana State Bar Association

Seventh Circuit Bar Association

Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

Beyond Monumental

Cornell Alumni Association of Central Indiana

Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassadors Network

Firm Committees

Stephanie serves or has served in the following leadership role(s) at Frost Brown Todd:

Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Related Insights