Presenters

Elizabeth A. Bennion, Ph.D., is Chancellor's Professor of Political Science and American Democracy Project Director at Indiana University South Bend. Bennion teaches courses in American politics with an emphasis on political behavior, and organizes non-partisan voter outreach initiatives including a Civic Leadership Academy, non-partisan voter registration drives, and candidate debates for municipal, county, state, and national political races. Professor Bennion is the recipient of numerous teaching, research, and service awards from campus, university, local, state, and national organizations. Her 75+ published works include large-scale, voter mobilization field experiments, best practice guides to promoting and assessing civic learning, and three co-edited books on teaching civic engagement.

Barbara Z. Brook was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Indiana from 1989-2015. During those 28 years, Barbara conducted grand jury investigations, prepared search warrants, and tried numerous cases in Federal Court. Her cases included mortgage fraud, wire, and mail fraud, as well as illegal drug trafficking. Barbara also spent 25 years as an adjunct professor at the Notre Dame Law School teaching trial skills to 2nd and 3rd year law students.

Robert E. Duff grew up in Lebanon, Indiana, obtained his undergraduate degree from Purdue University, and his law degree from Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, both with honors. After serving two judicial clerkships , Mr. Duff joined the Indiana Attorney General's office where he litigated civil and worker's compensation cases. Mr. Duff has also worked for small and large Indianapolis law firms, where he defended Wal-Mart in personal injury lawsuits, defended automobile manufacturers in lemon law claims, and defended a major credit reporting agency in Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation. Mr. Duff founded the Indiana Consumer Law Group/The Law Office of Robert E. Duff in 2007 so that he could use the legal skills developed representing the State of Indiana and big corporations to obtain justice for consumer victims.

Sarah Everett is a Senior Attorney in the South Bend Office of Indiana Legal Services, Inc. (ILS), where she provides civil legal representation, advice and support to those in need via direct referrals from their healthcare providers. Prior, Sarah was based in the ILS Indianapolis Office where she was one of the founding attorneys for the LAVA (Legal Assistance for Victimized Adults) Project, which provides civil legal representation to seniors and endangered adults who have suffered abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Prior to joining ILS, Sarah worked in private practice and for 26 years with UAW Legal Services focusing on probate and real estate law. Sarah earned her J.D. in 1988 from Indiana University Maurer School of Law, and her B.A. in 1985 from Indiana University.

Catherine Fanello is a Public Finance Attorney with Kline Alvaredo Veio, P.C., and is also a former appointee to the St Joseph County Election Board. Ms. Fanello serves as counsel on a variety of publicly offered and privately placed bond financings. She has worked with cities, towns, and counties on a variety of bonds and public-private partnerships. Ms. Fanello also provides counseling on related public finance matters, such as the rules for levying taxes, assessments, and fees. Prior to practicing law, Ms. Fanello served as a city controller for the City of South Bend, managing budgets, debt, investments, bonds and other obligations. From 2014 to 2022, Ms. Fanello served as an appointee to (and later Chair of) the St Joseph County Election Board, which administers the election process within St Joseph County.

Judith Fox recently retired from Notre Dame Law School where she had been a Clinical Professor of Law for twenty-five years. Ms. Fox directed the Economic Justice Project, a low income clinic specializing in foreclosure and debt collection defense. Despite her retirement from teaching, Ms. Fox has continued her advocacy and research focus on housing issues and debt collection. She has served on a number of boards and committees, including the Consumer Advisory Board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, and the Indiana Mortgage Foreclosure Task Force. Ms. Fox provides trainings and seminars across the country on issues related to the financial services industry, and has authored a number of publications on housing and debt collection. Her recent book, Foreclosure Echo: How the Hardest Hit Have Been Left Out of the Economic Recovery focuses on the housing issues which remain in the wake of the recent foreclosure crisis.

Hon. Andre Gammage is a Magistrate Judge presiding over criminal and civil cases in the St. Joseph County Circuit Court, including the Circuit Court’s Protective Order Court, addressing issues of domestic violence from that court’s inception until 2021. A graduate of Valparaiso University and Valparaiso University School of Law, Magistrate Gammage began his legal career as a St. Joseph County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. Later, he entered private practice where he focused on criminal defense. Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Notre Dame School of Law, Faculty Member at the National Judicial College of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and Moderator for the South Bend Group Violence Initiative.

Angela M. Hoogeveen is the Managing Attorney for the South Bend Office of Indiana Legal Services, Inc., where she began as a staff attorney in 2000. Angie grew up in South Bend, and attended Valparaiso University where she graduated with honors, earning a Bachelor of Arts in both Criminal Justice and Political Science in 1994. She went on to Valparaiso University School of Law, graduating in 1997. The primary focus of Angie’s practice has been in the area of family law, representing victims of domestic violence. She has also represented clients in housing, public benefits and consumer matters, including bankruptcy. Recently, Angie has been focusing on criminal record expungements. Angie is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, as well as the St. Joseph County Bar Association, where she is active in the Family Law Section, the Pro-Bono Committee, and serves on the Board of Governors.

Hon. Eric Tamashasky is a Magistrate Judge presiding over civil cases in the St. Joseph County Superior Court's Small Claims Division. Over his prior seventeen years in law enforcement, he has served as a prosecutor, professor, and cybercrimes investigator. For eight years, Magistrate Tamashasky served as the Police Legal Advisor for the St. Joseph County Sheriff/Police Department. While working with the county police, he was deputized as a law enforcement officer, and shared responsibility for the St. Joseph County Cybercrimes Unit. Mr. Tamashasky served as an investigator for the unit, was part of the team that served search warrants, and filled the role of deputy prosecutor responsible for charging and prosecuting computer crime-related cases. He currently teaches a course entitled “Cybercrime and the Law” at the University of Notre Dame each fall to undergraduate students.