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News Release

Last modified: Friday, April 16, 2010

Maurer School of Law Inducts Academy of Law Alumni Fellows

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Six Indiana University Maurer School of Law alumni will be inducted today (April 16) into the Law School's Academy of Law Alumni Fellows. Induction into the academy is the highest honor the Law School can bestow on its graduates.

The academy consists of an elite group that includes U.S. senators, federal judges, and managing partners of national law firms. Each brings honor to the legal profession and enhances the Maurer School of Law's national and global reputation.

The 2010 inductees include a prominent commercial real estate developer, an accomplished public policy attorney, Indiana's Tax Court judge, a former U.S. congressman, an international public relations expert, and an alumnus devoted to providing health care to patients with HIV/AIDS.

"Our newest additions to the Academy of Law Alumni Fellows have achieved success in a number of professions," said Lauren Robel, dean and Val Nolan Professor of Law. "And the inductees have also gone above and beyond to use their talents to make the world a better place. We are honored to call them alumni of our School."

The 2010 Academy of Law Alumni Fellows are:

Sidney D. Eskenazi, JD'53

Sidney D. Eskenazi has built a successful career as a commercial real estate developer and lawyer, while generously supporting his community in a variety of ways. Sandor Development, which Eskenazi founded in 1963, today owns and manages more than 7 million square feet of retail space comprising 70 developments in 23 states. In 1970, he endowed a scholarship fund for students at both the Bloomington and Indianapolis law schools. He and his wife, Lois, have also established scholarships at the Herron School of Art and Design and the IU Medical School, and have made endowment gifts to the Jewish Community Center-Indianapolis, the Hooverwood Jewish Home and the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation. Eskenazi has twice received the Spirit of Philanthropy Award from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. In 2007, Herron honored the Eskenazis by naming its new building Eskenazi Hall in recognition of their philanthropy.

Penelope Farthing, JD'70

Penelope Farthing is an outstanding legal practitioner focused on public policy, with extensive experience on Capitol Hill. As staff attorney for the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, she specialized in legislative and regulatory matters. At the United States Department of Agriculture, she directed congressional affairs for Food Safety and Quality Service, the USDA's food inspection and grading agency. She also helped form a coalition of advertisers and led them in successful battles against unconstitutional restrictions. Farthing's additional accomplishments include leading an industry-wide coalition on gender-based insurance rating, serving as Washington counsel for the new Denver airport project, and assisting USAir in its proposed alliance with British Airways. Her record of outstanding public service has been recognized by the Federal Bar Association, which has twice awarded her its Distinguished Service Award. Currently she is senior counsel at Patton Boggs LLP in Washington, specializing in public policy and lobbying, appropriations, and municipal representation.

The Honorable Thomas G. Fisher, LLB'65

The Honorable Thomas G. Fisher is a highly respected and widely published jurist and scholar with a long-standing record of community service. A graduate of Earlham College and the Maurer School of Law, Judge Fisher was admitted to practice in Indiana in 1965 and was named to the Indiana Tax Court in 1986. Previously, Judge Fisher served as the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney and maintained a private practice in Jasper County for 21 years. Judge Fisher has written numerous articles for state and local publications. He is a member of many professional and civic organizations, including state and local bar associations, the National Conference of State Tax Judges, and the American Judicature Society. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Conner Prairie Foundation and was previously a member of the board of trustees of Earlham College and a district governor of Rotary International.

Charles Halleck, LLB'24 (posthumously)

Charles Halleck was a leading voice in national Republican politics for more than four decades and a strong advocate for civil rights. Halleck's relatively brief legal career as a prosecuting attorney was interrupted in 1935, when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives following the death of Representative-elect Frederick Landis. Halleck continued to represent Indiana's Second Congressional District for the next 34 years. A prominent member of the Conservative Coalition, Halleck served as majority leader in the House of Representatives after the elections of 1946 and 1952 and as minority leader from 1959 to 1964. Although a staunch Republican and supporter of the Vietnam War, he was one of the strongest advocates in Congress for the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Halleck was born in Demotte, Ind., and served as a U.S. Army infantryman during World War I. Upon return from the battlefield, he earned an LLB in 1924. He died in 1986.

John C. Onoda, JD'76

John C. Onoda has spent most of his career in the public relations profession, counseling the world's most visible and influential companies during a period of unprecedented change. After earning his law degree, Onoda earned a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He spent the next five years as a newspaper reporter and in 1981 began a distinguished public relations career as a senior communications executive with several Fortune 500 companies. In 2002 he joined Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, where he advises companies on reputation management and corporate social responsibility. Onoda has also provided communications counsel and managerial expertise to several nonprofit organizations. He served for many years on the board of trustees of the Arthur Page Society, the country's leading organization for corporate communications officers, and in 1997 was inducted into the Medill School of Journalism's Hall of Achievement.

John F. (Jeff) Richardson, JD'77

Jeff Richardson has devoted his career to providing access to health care and social services for Indiana families, people with HIV/AIDS, and citizens of developing countries. Richardson began his career with Eli Lilly & Co. before moving into the public sector. Under Gov. Evan Bayh, he served as secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and commissioner of the Indiana Department of Human Services. In 1993, Richardson became executive director of GMHC, the largest AIDS service organization in the United States. Currently he is vice president of the Abbott Fund, the not-for-profit philanthropic arm of Abbott, the health care company, overseeing its efforts to help children and families affected by HIV and AIDS, malnutrition, and other health challenges in the developing world. Richardson's advocacy began during his college years. He was elected president and vice president of the Indiana University Student Government and served four years on the Bloomington City Council.

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