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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has announced local attorney Jimmie McMillian will be the speaker at its 23rd annual Black History Month event.
McMillian, senior corporate counsel and chief diversity officer for Penske Entertainment, which includes the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NTT IndyCar Series, and IMS Productions, will present the hour-long program virtually at 2 p.m. on Feb. 18.
This year’s speech is titled “The Struggles that Made Us: The Journeys of African American Leaders from Personal Failure to Triumph.”
According to the Southern District, “McMilllian’s remarks will highlight African American leaders, specifically lawyers, judges, and politicians, who encountered failure on their path to success.” McMillian will also provide “inspiring examples highlighting African Americans who chose not to give up on their passion and dreams, despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and who ultimately achieved greatness.”
“His remarks will inspire participants to use their failures as building blocks to establish successful careers in the law,” the district court said.
Local jazz trio SOULful Expressions will also treat the audience to a few musical selections to begin, and conclude, the program.
McMillian is a nationally recognized voice for diversity in the legal profession and increased opportunities for minority attorneys.
As chief diversity officer for Penske Entertainment, McMillian leads Penske’s ongoing Race for Equality & Change initiative. He is a former partner at Barnes & Thornburgh, where he served in the litigation department.
McMillian, an Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law alumnus, was also the 2013 recipient of the Maynard K. Hine Medal for service to the IUPUI campus and received the National Bar Association’s Presidential Award in 2007.
The 2022 program is co-sponsored by the U.S. District Court, Bankruptcy Court, Probation Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Community Defenders and the United States Marshals Service for the Southern District of Indiana.
The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required.
If it’s possible to gather in-person, registered attendees will be notified of those details and may choose to switch their attendance to in-person, according to organizers.
Reservations can be made at [email protected]. Only those individuals who pre-register for the program will receive the Zoom link.
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