IU professor receives law award

Clincal professor of law Amy Applegate admitted it was not always her ambition to obtain a career in law.

“I had never planned to be a lawyer,” Applegate said. “I wanted to be a teacher or a social worker. After junior year, I was having lunch with a friend in New York City. She asked for the egg salad sandwich, and when the food was brought out they had given her the egg salad platter instead. I argued her case with the manager. That’s when I realized I could go into law.”

Applegate started the school year with the honor of receiving the 2008 Women in Law Recognition Award. She works as the director of the Family and Children Mediation Clinic on Indiana Avenue.

It was Julia Orzeske, executive director for the Indiana Commission for Continuing Legal Education, who nominated Applegate for the award. Orzeske has known Applegate for about five or six years and said he hopes the award will attract more people like Applegate to law and have a positive influence on society.

“She is very thorough and professional. She doesn’t do anything for herself. She acts for the benefit of others,” Orzeske said. “She has a genuine, good heart. Amy was a sponsor of education, and through work I saw how hard she really works and how much she impacted others.”

Former student Amanda Raad said she thought that Applegate was a sure bet to win the award.

“Amy definitely built my confidence and made my first few years of working much smoother,” Raad said. “She reminded me of what I wanted to achieve and the impact I could have. Amy is one of those people that makes IU worth going to.”

Erin Bauer, also a former student, said she agrees that Applegate deserved her award.
“When I started, I knew I’d like the clinic and the material, but she really got me interested in family law and made it fun. She really took an interest in her students,” Bauer said. “She served as a role model. Looking at her, that’s the kind of attorney I want to be. You can be a driven attorney and still really help people and have a sense of humor.”

Applegate, a New York native, described winning the award as a humbling experience.
Applegate also attended Harvard University and spent a year in Italy. She worked in Washington for six years and also worked as a partner in a small firm in Cincinnati.

“It is very nice and very flattering to win,” Applegate said. “There are many people who help men and women and mentor. It’s nice to be recognized. I am just one of many who help people.”