Caroline has a unique combination of mediation experience in both civil and family law. Caroline completed one of the first family mediation trainings offered in Indiana in 1987, followed by civil mediation training in 1993. For over twenty-five years, Caroline has been a trial attorney with her primary focus in the area of medical malpractice and personal injury. Her medical malpractice experience includes both defending healthcare providers and, more recently, representing patients as a partner in the firm of Baker & Gilchrist, since 1999. Caroline has also served as a Medical Review Panel Chair in medical negligence cases.
Caroline has been ICLEFs primary trainer for the forty (40) hour Basic Family Mediation Training since 1999, training hundreds of family mediators. For over thirty years, mediation has always been a regular part of her practice. Caroline has mediated family law cases, medical malpractice cases, personal injury, and a wide variety of civil issues. Her ongoing dream and goal has been to transition from full time trial lawyer to mediator.
Caroline has been named as a Super Lawyer in the Indianapolis Monthly every year since 2009. She has also been named as a Top 50 Indiana attorney for 2020 and 2017 and a Top 25 Women Attorneys in Indiana from 2016 through 2020 by Indianapolis Monthly. Caroline has consistently received the AV preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Since 2017, Caroline has been recognized by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, top 1% and by Best Lawyers since 2014. Caroline graduated from Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington, in 1982. While in law school, she served as a note editor on the Board of Editors of the Indiana Law Journal.
In addition to being the primary trainer for the Family Mediation Training, Caroline has been a participant in numerous other continuing legal education presentations relating to both family and civil mediation, including the following: Advanced Mediation Training Seminar, ITLA, 2013, 2011; How to Handle the Difficult Client in Mediation, IBA Womens Bench Bar, 2009 and ICLEF, 2004; Case Law Update, ICLEF, 2004; Mediation: Common Mistakes, Ethical Issues, ICLEF, 2006: Successful Mediation: A Practitioners Guide to Mediation Preparation, ICLEF, 1994; Advanced Family Mediation Training, The Indiana Lawyer, CLE Division, 1996; and, associate trainer for Civil Mediation Basic Training, February 1998. Caroline mediated for the Department of Education, Special Education Division, for several years. She has been a speaker on the subject of negotiation and mediation techniques for a variety of groups. She has also been a speaker in numerous seminars over the years relating to the area of medical malpractice, including, You Won/Lost the Medical Review Panel, Now What?, ITLA, 2017 and Inside the Indiana Medical Review Panel Process, IBA, 2010.
Caroline is married to Brad and they have two grown sons. Caroline is a high energy individual and has many interests. She enjoys playing both tennis and pickleball. She has been involved in various aspects of womens ministry for many years. She and her husband enjoy traveling together. To relax, she is an avid reader.