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Elizabeth Allington
IU McKinney School of Law
eallingt@iupui.edu
317-278-3038

Last modified: Monday, April 2, 2012

Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan Jr. to join IU McKinney School of Law faculty

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan Jr. has been appointed to the faculty of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law on the IUPUI campus, Dean Gary R. Roberts announced today, April 2. Sullivan's appointment takes effect at the start of the fall semester.

Frank Sullivan, Jr.

Frank Sullivan, Jr.

Print-Quality Photo

"Having Frank Sullivan join our faculty is an exciting and extraordinary opportunity to bring in someone with a great mind and academic temperament to teach our students both theory and practice and to add to our scholarly culture," Roberts said. "At the same time, Justice (soon to be Professor) Sullivan can connect the school more firmly with the practicing bar and bench through his extraordinary reputation and his extensive experience as a practicing lawyer, state budget director and Supreme Court justice. This is truly a unique and special hire for the IU McKinney School of Law."

"I am honored to join the faculty at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law," Sullivan said. "I have long admired the faculty of the law school and its commitment to the school's students and to community service. I very much hope I can make my own contributions in those regards."

Sullivan served as an adjunct professor of law at the school of law from 2007 to 2009, teaching a class in public finance law. Roberts said that he expects Sullivan to teach classes in business law and corporate finance. Sullivan said he will continue to serve as a member of the court until near the start of the fall semester at the law school. He said he will notify the clerk of the court and the Judicial Nominating Commission as soon as a definite date for his departure from the court is determined.

Sullivan has been a member of the Indiana Supreme Court since 1993, when he was appointed by then-Gov. Evan Bayh. During his tenure on the court, he has authored approximately 500 majority opinions addressing a wide range of criminal, civil and tax law issues. Several of his decisions have been selected for publication in law school casebooks.

Before his appointment to the court, Sullivan served as state budget director (1989-92) and executive assistant for fiscal policy to Gov. Bayh (1993), during which time he directed the preparation of the Bayh administration's budget proposals and oversaw implementation of state budgets passed by the legislature. Before state service, he practiced corporate finance and securities law in the Indianapolis office of Barnes & Thornburg, Indiana's largest law firm. Sullivan served on the staff of former U.S. Rep. John Brademas from 1974 to 1979, ultimately assuming the position of staff director.

Sullivan has been active in national judicial and law reform organizations. He is a past chair of the American Bar Association Appellate Judges Conference and the Appellate Judges Education Institute Board of Directors. He has been a leader of the ABA's Judicial Clerkship Program, which encourages minority law students to seek judicial clerkships, and is the recipient of several awards for advancing opportunities for minority lawyers in the legal profession. He is also a member of the American Law Institute and has been selected as an advisor to two of its projects: "Restatement Third, Torts: Liability for Economic Harm" and "Principles of Election Law: Resolution of Election Disputes."

Sullivan graduated from Dartmouth College (A.B., cum laude, 1972) and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington (J.D., magna cum laude, 1982; Order of the Coif). He also holds an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law (2001). He is married to Cheryl G. Sullivan; they are the parents of three adult sons. An avid runner, Sullivan has qualified for and competed in the Boston Marathon three times in the past decade.

About the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law

With more than 1,000 students, IU McKinney School of Law is the largest law school in Indiana. Located in downtown Indianapolis, the school has enjoyed great success in preparing students for legal careers for more than 100 years, as evidenced by the presence of alumni in the judiciary and other branches of government, business, civic leadership and law practice. The school's 10,000 graduates are located in every state in the nation and several foreign countries. More information is available at indylaw.indiana.edu.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Allington, IU McKinney School of Law, at 317-278-3038 or eallingt@iupui.edu.