The Indiana Lawyer Podcast with Maura Johnson

Taylor Swift recently filed three trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including two sound marks for her speaking voice and one visual mark from her Eras Tour. The filings have drawn widespread attention for what they signal about celebrity IP protection in the age of artificial intelligence.Caitlin Byczko, an intellectual property attorney at Barnes & Thornburg's Indianapolis office, breaks down what Swift's applications are actually requesting, what legal hurdles they face, and why the outcome could set a roadmap for how celebrities, brands, and even everyday people protect themselves from AI-generated deep fakes and unauthorized voice cloning.Biscoe explains the difference between copyright, right of publicity and trademark protection, why sound marks remain rare and legally untested, and how the likelihood-of-confusion standard will determine whether Swift's registrations can hold up against AI platforms. She also addresses the international limitations of U.S. trademark law, the role of platform-level enforcement, and what Tennessee's 2024 right-of-publicity update signals about where state and federal regulation may be headed.For more legal news from Indiana, visit theindianalawyer.com, where you can subscribe to the daily newsletter and browse past podcast episodes.

Listening, adaptability and quick thinking aren’t typically taught in law school, but two professionals argue they should be. They say improv training can sharpen courtroom performance, client negotiations and overall well-being. Mike Marbach, founder of Crossroads Comedy in Indianapolis, and Michael Murphy, a clinical law professor at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, created a continuing legal education program built on improv exercises. The course links each exercise to legal practice, covering active listening, the “yes, and” approach to negotiation, emotional authenticity in court and projecting expertise on short notice.They also address a common hurdle for attorneys: dropping a rigid professional persona to fully engage in learning. Murphy, a former trial lawyer and in-house counsel, says improv-based CLEs outperform traditional lecture formats and help lawyers stay present and recover when proceedings go off track.

The Trump administration's AI legislative framework sets the stage for a federal showdown over who controls artificial intelligence regulation in the United States. Brian McGinnis, a partner at Barnes & Thornburg and co-chair of the firm's data security and privacy law and artificial intelligence practices, breaks down the six pillars of the White House blueprint and what Congress would need to do to turn those priorities into law.McGinnis explains the core tension at the heart of the debate: Whether Washington should set a national standard that preempts state laws, or whether states like Colorado, California, and Texas should retain the authority to impose stricter requirements on AI developers. He draws a direct parallel to the long-running fight over federal privacy legislation, warning that without congressional action, companies face a growing patchwork of conflicting state rules.The conversation also covers the administration's directive to the Department of Justice to push back against state regulators, the relevance of the EU AI Act as a comparative model, and why Colorado's June enforcement deadline is creating immediate pressure for businesses trying to determine what compliance even looks like. McGinnis notes that companies are increasingly turning to frameworks like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework as stand-ins for legislation that does not yet exist.

Law firms are now locking in first-year law students for summer positions before they have finished a single full semester. David Durm, a partner at Barnes & Thornburg in Indianapolis, breaks down the forces reshaping law student recruiting and what students must do to stand out.Durm, who has coordinated law student recruiting for more than 25 years, explains how the traditional two-L summer associate model has shifted dramatically, with some Am Law 100 firms now extending offers to one-L students in January for summer classes more than a year away. He also addresses how artificial intelligence is influencing hiring decisions, why Indianapolis remains a strong recruiting market despite a statewide lawyer shortage and what Barnes & Thornburg looks for beyond grades when evaluating candidates.

Indianapolis criminal defense attorney Jim Voyles Jr. reflects on nearly 58 years of practicing law, from representing Indianapolis Colts and Pacers players to serving as local counsel during the Mike Tyson sexual assault trial. Voyles discusses his philosophy of keeping clients silent, the high-profile cases that shaped his career and his new book "All Rise: My Life in Trials with the Famous, Infamous and the Misunderstood," co-written with motorsports writer Mark Bourcier. He also discusses his lifelong passion for motorsports, his family's Indianapolis 500 traditions and his connection to the racing community.

Indiana Court of Appeals Chief Judge Elizabeth Tavitas explains how appeals work in Indiana, including how the court reviews briefs and trial transcripts and issues written opinions. She breaks down what the Court of Appeals handles and which cases go to the Indiana Tax Court or directly to the Indiana Supreme Court, and notes the court produces about 2,100 opinions a year. Tavitas also shares her path from Lake County deputy prosecutor to juvenile public defender, private practice, magistrate and a Lake Superior Court family court judge in Gary before joining the Court of Appeals in 2018. She discusses access to justice, civics education through We the People, mentoring law students, and efforts to improve judicial safety, plus a traveling oral argument with the Indiana Historical Society on April 28 tied to outreach for the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

As law school hopefuls begin preparing for the application process, The Indiana Lawyer Podcast is sitting down with experts to glean insight on how best to prepare for the task. In this episode, we hear from Colleen McCracken Renick, a DePauw University pre-law adviser, who explains how the university's career services office supports students and alumni interested in law school, from choosing coursework and majors to building extracurricular experience. The conversation also covers DePauw’s pro bono legal clinic in Putnam County, connections with the local courthouse, student groups and alumni networking, plus how the university helps with LSAT prep and applications, including personal statements and law school resumes. Renick also explains how to think about timelines and applying early, and why gap years can be a smart step before law school. Finally, Renick shares advice on protecting your mental and physical well-being during prep, including how to establish routines, support systems, and strategies for stress and test anxiety.For more information on DePauw University's pre-law pathway, visit this link: https://www.depauw.edu/academics/pathways/law/

Jimmy Gurulé is a professor a the University of Notre Dame Law School and former U.S. Department of the Treasury undersecretary for enforcement with decades of experience that include oversight of major federal law enforcement agencies and teaching criminal law, national security law and criminal procedure. In this conversation, he draws on decades as a federal and state prosecutor and senior law enforcement official to explain what U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is legally tasked with doing and how that differs from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Gurulé talks about federal officer training, why the large federal deployment in Minneapolis is unusual, how cooperation with local police has eroded, and what accountability and trust-rebuilding could look like.

As law school hopefuls begin preparing for the application process, The Indiana Lawyer Podcast is sitting down with experts to glean insight on how best to prepare for the task. In this episode, Vincent Gullo, University of Notre Dame Law School student and Indiana University Northwest adjunct instructor, joins the podcast to explain how IU Northwest supports future law students through its in-person LSAT prep class and other guidance to help students feel prepared for testing. Hear from Gullo as he breaks down how to build an LSAT study plan, why diagnostic exams matter, how to set realistic goals based on target schools, and why full practice tests and detailed review are essential. He also shares how LSAT prep skills translate to law school and what recent LSAT format changes test-takers should be mindful of. Finally, Gullo shares his practical advice on how to avoid unnecessary stress when studying, including why students should stay off anonymous forums and how to advocate for yourself when test prep strategies don't fit your learning style.

For more information on IU Northwest's LSAT prep course, visit this link: https://events.iu.edu/northwest/event/2138479-lsat-prep-course

For more information on the LSAC LawHub referenced in the episode, visit this link: https://www.lawhub.org/?_gl=1*muf5vj*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiA7LzLBhAgEiwAjMWzCOG1EVqNb0KJq9gLBfrP9zwLYDwTQCdw88d7opmrZPW6P1ngn3kjqhoC9HYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&gbraid=0AAAAABrC4153v_6xEVzxs9EuH2YPPvS04

Ken Nunn, one of Indiana’s most prominent personal injury attorneys, died Dec. 24 at the age of 85. In  February, The Indiana Lawyer Podcast sat down with him and asked him to reflect on his decades-long career and his unconventional path to success. In this encore edition of the podcast, Nunn tells of his early struggles, including dropping out of high school, flunking multiple grades, and spending time in jail for theft before turning his life around. Nunn shares the lessons he learned, reflects on the mentors who shaped him and offers advice for young lawyers entering the profession.