Nadine McSpadden is a nearly-lifelong Hoosier who graduated from West Lafayette High School, went to law school at IU Maurer in Bloomington, and has lived in Indianapolis for nearly 20 years. She has a passion for social justice and equity and has been fighting for progressive causes for as long as she can remember.
Nadine is a lawyer, and spent most of her two decades of legal work as a public servant. She was honored to serve as a judicial clerk, and then the senior judicial clerk, to Judge John Baker of the Indiana Court of Appeals, for nearly 14 years until his retirement. She also spent several years as an attorney with the Department of Child Services and as a deputy charging prosecutor with the Marion County Prosecutor’s office, focusing on domestic violence cases. She is now in private practice with the Taft law firm, where she specializes in appellate law and has also been able to take on pro bono work, helping a young Russian LGBTQ+ woman gain asylum in the US and helping citizens of Indianapolis navigate eviction proceedings.
Nadine is honored to serve on the board of Indiana Youth Group, which does the critical work of providing services to queer youth and young adults across the state. Serving that mission alongside truly dedicated Hoosiers feeds her soul, especially in such troubled times. She also serves on the board of the Julian Center, which is Indiana’s largest domestic violence shelter, and finds great personal meaning in dedicating her time and talent to that mission as well.
After the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the Indiana legislature enacted the near-total abortion ban in a rushed special session, Nadine worked with a group of attorneys to found a political action group called Our Choice Coalition. The PAC’s mission is to elect pro-choice politicians to state and local office in Indiana, and Nadine continues to serve as an officer and board member. She believes that the work of reproductive rights organizations is more important than ever.
Nadine lives in Indianapolis with her husband, four teenagers, two dogs, and two cats. She loves Indiana and believes passionately that if we work together, we can turn things around and find the right path again.