An attorney received an award from the FBI's Indianapolis Office for her support of the FBI's community outreach efforts and for furthering the agency's mission.

Liberty Roberts, a partner at Collier-Magar & Roberts, received the 2009 Director's Community Leadership Award from Michael S. Welch, special agent in charge of the Indianapolis Office Dec. 4.

The 2005 graduate of the FBI Citizens' Academy is president-elect of the Board of Directors for the Indianapolis Chapter of the FBI Citizens' Academy Foundation, which funds the training sessions. Her term as president starts in 2010.

To support the FBI's mission, Roberts co-chaired the committee and donated hundreds of hours of her time to organize the FBI's 100th anniversary celebration in 2008. She also supported the FBI's annual summer picnic in July, which hosted more than 500 people for the event that connects the FBI employees to local law enforcement officers and the community.

She has actively encouraged other community members, particularly other attorneys she knows, to consider applying for the academy. Indianapolis classes take place one night a week during the fall, including a Saturday class that includes firearms training at a shooting range.

The FBI will also offer intensive citizens' academies in Fort Wayne and Merrillville during spring 2010 that will take place over a Thursday evening, an entire Friday, and all day Saturday. The Fort Wayne sessions take place the weekend of May 13-15; the Merrillville sessions take place the weekend of May 20-22. Classes will have no more than 25 students. Applications for those sessions are due by Dec. 18.

Applications for the fall 2010 Indianapolis sessions are due in April; those interested are encouraged to apply early.

More information about how to apply for any of the upcoming citizens' academy sessions can be obtained from Kathy Sipes at (317) 321-6119 or Kathryn.Sipes@ic.fbi.gov .

Indiana Lawyer reported about attorneys who have gone through the citizens' academy in the April 16-29, 2008, edition.