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“``EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW''” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E733 on March 29, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
``EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW''
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HON. ANDREW JACOBS, JR.
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 29, 1995
Mr. JACOBS. Mr. Speaker, etched in stone directly across the street from this Chamber are the words, ``Equal Justice Under Law.'' This Indianapolis Star article indicates that as a nation and a society we are inching our way toward equal justice for women to practice law. Which is not to say that Linda Pence merely inches her way toward success. She served her country well at the Justice Department, and serves it equally well by devoting her blazing talent to find justice on the other side of the court room.
[From the Indianapolis (IN) Star, Mar. 16, 1995]
Merger Gives Woman a Name on the Door at Top-10 Law Firm
(By Peter Key)
Twenty-one years ago, Linda Pence couldn't get a job offer from an Indianapolis law firm.
She's about to get her name on the door of a pretty big one.
On April 3, Pence will merge her law practice with Johnson Smith Densborn Wright & Heath, which will change its name to Johnson Smith Pence Densborn Wright & Heath.
The merger, announced Wednesday, will make Pence the only woman who is a named partner in one of the city's 10 largest law firms, according to Pence and Johnson Smith.
``It is a big deal, and we're proud of it,'' said Richard Johnson, who founded the firm in 1983.
Women make up about 22 percent of Indiana's lawyers, according to figures from the Office of the Clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court. The state has 11,751 licensed attorneys; of those, 2,537 are women.
Pence's eight-person staff, which includes three other attorneys, also will join Johnson Smith, with attorney David Hensel becoming a partner.
The merger will boost Johnson Smith's staff size to almost 100 employees, including 58 attorneys.
John David Hoover, the firm's managing partner, said the merger is consistent with Johnson Smith's plan of expanding into new areas of practice by adding attorneys established in those areas.
``We've really looked for people in the community who could help us in areas we could not service our clientele in,'' he said.
Pence specializes in complex white-collar criminal and civil litigation.
After getting a law degree from Indiana University and passing the Indiana bar exam in 1974, Pence couldn't land a job with an Indianapolis law firm. So she moved to Washington, D.C., and joined the U.S. Justice Department.
``I wouldn't be the lawyer I am today if I hadn't worked there for nine years,'' she said.
Pence left Justice in 1983 to become a defense attorney. Three years later, she moved back to Indianapolis.
``I recognized at age 36 that my roots * * * were a lot stronger than I ever thought,'' she said.
Pence knew she wouldn't be able to get a partnership in one of the city's big law firms. So, tired of hearing the old canard that women can't run a law firm, she started her own practice.
About a year and a half ago, Pence realized she had to expand or merge her firm to get additional resources and support for her speciality, which requires expertise in many areas of law.
She decided to go with Johnson Smith, she said, because the firm is ``growing, but growing in a controlled way by bringing aboard attorneys who are really experts in their field.''
In addition to her clients, Pence will bring Johnson Smith a certain degree of celebrity. She commented on the trial of boxer Mike Tyson for WISH (Channel 8) and is commenting on the O.J. Simpson trial for WRTV (Channel 6). (The switch in stations might be attributable to the fact that she married WRTV anchorman Clyde Lee between trials.)
Pence also brings Johnson Smith a certain jole de vie. And it will be appreciated.
``We have a remarkably good time practicing law around this office * * * and Linda really fits into that program,'' Hoover said. ``She has fun practicing law.''
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