Celebrating the role of the courts in Indiana's black history

Judge Tanya Walton Pratt to speak as federal agencies in Indianapolis Celebrate Black History Month

On Friday, Feb. 10, federal agencies in Indianapolis will sponsor an annual Black History Month Celebration. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will host the event at 2 p.m. in the William E. Steckler Ceremonial Courtroom (courtroom 202), located at the Birch Bayh Federal Building & United States Courthouse, 46 E. Ohio St., Indianapolis.

Judge Tanya Walton Pratt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will be the featured speaker and present remarks on "Celebrating the Role of the Courts in Indiana's Black History." Judge Pratt became the first African American federal judge in the state of Indiana when she took her oath of office on June 25, 2010. President Obama nominated Judge Pratt on Jan. 20, 2010, and the U.S. Senate, by a vote of 95-0, confirmed her on June 15, 2010.

From 2008 until her appointment to the district court, Judge Pratt served as a judge in the probate division of the Marion Superior Court. From 1997 to 2008, she was a judge in that court’s criminal division, where she handled major felony cases. Before becoming a superior court judge, she was active in private practice with the firm of Walton & Pratt, focusing primarily on family law, bankruptcy and probate law. Judge Pratt was also a contract county public defender during her years of private practice. She received her B. A. from Spelman College in 1981 and her J. D. from Howard University School of Law in 1984.

Musical entertainment will be provided by the African Drum Ballet, a renowned middle school percussion group from Arkansas.

The program will last one hour and approval of one hour of CLE credit is pending. Preregistration is not required.

The program is free and open to the public. Photography will be permitted during the event. If you have any questions, please contact Doria Lynch at 317.229.3729.