Firm Profiles

Bruce A. Brightwell, Principal Attorney

Bruce graduated magna cum laude from the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington in 1992. Bruce has been licensed in both Indiana and Kentucky since 1992, and has concentrated his practice in the Kentuckiana area. He has represented clients on every level of the state and federal courts in both states, and is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney by the National College of Trial Advocacy.

Bruce has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Brandeis School of Law, teaching Wills and Trusts.

He is an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and serves as Executive Editor of the NAELA Law Journal. Bruce also presented a program at the annual NAELA conference in Seattle in April of 2012.

Bruce has been actively involved with the Louisville Bar Association his entire career, and is past Chair of the Probate & Estate Planning Section and current Chair of the Communications Committee.

He is also a licensed Life and Health Insurance agent in Indiana and Kentucky.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Indiana University School of Law

Bloomington, Indiana

J.D. 1992, magna cum laude

• Instructor, Appellate Advocacy (1991 – 1992)
• Research Assistant, Professor Mary Ellen O’Connell (1992)
• Am. Jur. Award, Criminal Procedure (1991)
• National Moot Court Team (1991)
  • Quarter-finalist, Midwest Regional (1991)
• Jessup Moot Court Team (1991, 1992)
  • Quarter-finalist, Midwest Regional (1991)
• American Moot Court Team (1992)

Indiana University, School of Journalism

B.A. in Journalism with minor in Business, 1989 (graduated in three years)

PUBLICATIONS

• Police ‘Expert’ Testimony Regarding Drug Trafficking Should be Examined under the Daubert Test, The Advocate (May/June 2002)
• Engaging Issue – Who Gets to Keep the Engagement Ring When the Marriage is Called Off? 28 The Advocate, Vol. 4, 14 (2001)
• Liability of Creditor and Repossession Agent for Wrongful Repossession and Tortious Acts Committed During Repossession, 42 Am Jur Proof of Facts 3d 355 (1997)
• Negligent Issuance of Life Insurance Policy Resulting in Injury to, or Death of, Insured, 37 Am Jur Proof of Facts 3d 149 (1996)
• The Hague Convention on Service of Process Abroad: An Overview, 37 Res Gestae 420 (1994)
• Availability of Jury Trials for Statutory Damages in Copyright Infringement Cases: The Easy Answer, 8 Adelphia L.J. 145 (1992)

SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS

• Presentation on Law Office Technology, NAELA Annual Conference (April 2012)
• Legal Writing Seminar, National Business Institute (June 2005)
• Challenges in Insurance Coverage, National Business Institute (October 2002)
• Bad Faith Litigation, National Business Institute (April 2000)
• Basic Insurance Law for the Paralegal, National Business Institute (February 1999)
• Insurance Law: Third Party Coverage, National Business Institute (May 1998)
• Appeals in Insurance Coverage Cases, ABA TIPS Mid Year Meeting, San Diego (February 1999)

REPORTED CASES

• Yeager v. McLellan, 177 S.W.3d 807 (Ky. 2005)
• Rakhman v. Zusstone, 957 S.W.2d 241 (Ky. 1997)
• In re Clark, 206 B.R. 439 (Bkrtcy.W.D.Ky.,1996)
• DesJardins v. State, 759 N.E.2d 1036 (Ind.2001)
• Jeffries v. Clark Memorial Hospital, 832 N.E.2d 571 (Ind.App. 2005)
• Deloney v. State, 938 N.E.2d 724 (Ind.App. 2010)
• Schrenger v. Caesars Indiana, 825 N.E.2d 879 (Ind.App. 2005)
• In re Commitment of Berryman, 797 N.E.2d 820 (Ind.App.,2003)
• Russell v. Richards, 384 F.3d 444 (C.A.7 (Ind.)2004)
• Doan v. Watson, 168 F.Supp.2d 932 (S.D.Ind.,2001)
• Higginbottom ex rel. Davis v. Keithley, 103 F.Supp.2d 1075 (S.D.Ind.,1999)

BRIEFS

• Co-author, Amicus Brief, American College of Legal Medicine, Kentucky Ass’n of Health Plans, Inc. v. Miller, 538 U.S. 329, 123 S.Ct. 1471 (2003)

CERTIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

• Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate by National Board of Trial Advocacy (2010 – present)
• Accredited Attorney with Veterans Administration (2010 – present)
• Registry of Indiana Civil Mediators (2002 – present)
• Registry of Indiana Family Law Mediators (2002 – present)

AWARDS

• American College of Legal Medicine, President’s Award (2003)
• Kentucky Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Award (2003, 2004)
• Louisville Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award (1997)
• Order of the Barristers (1992)

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Indiana and Kentucky (1992)
• Southern District of Indiana, Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky (1992)
• Sixth Circuit (1993)
• Seventh Circuit (2000)
• United States Supreme Court (2000)

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys  (2010 – present)
• Louisville Bar Association (1992 – present)
  • Member, Communications Committee (2005 – present)
  • Chair, Young Lawyers Section (1996 – 1997)
  • Chair, Solo and Small Firm Section (1997 – 1998)
  • Professional Responsibility Committee (1996 – 1998)
  • Law Week Committee (1997, 1998)
• Louis D. Brandeis American Inn of Court, Barrister (2002 – 2004)
• Sherman Minton American Inn of Court, Barrister (2006 – present)
• American College of Legal Medicine (2000 – present)
• American Bar Association (1992 – present)
  • ABA TIPS Appellate Committee (1997 – 2003)
  • Council of Appellate Lawyers (2000 – 2004)
  • Nominating Committee (2001)
  • Chair, Publications Committee (2001 – 2002)
• Associate’s Club (1992 – 1996)
  • President (1995 – 1996)
• Chair, Technology Committee, Jefferson County Law Library (1995 – 1998)

CIVIC ACTIVITIES

• Focus Louisville (2003)
• Toastmasters International (1990 – 1998)
  • President-Advanced Toastmasters Club (1993)
  • Area Governor (1994)
• MENSA (2002 – present)
• Navy League (2004 – present)

MEDIA APPEARANCES

• WHAS Radio, Mock Trial Presentation (October 1996)
• WHAS Radio, Ask The Lawyers Program (April 1997, September 1998, May 1999, December, 1999, March 2001, March 2004, May 2005, April 2006, February 2007)

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS

• Dunn-Rite Construction Company; Intra-Med Services, Inc; Stanley Schultze Company; Weissinger-Gaulbert Apartments