Anastasia Demos Mills, Attorney & Counselor at Law, LLC

10/31/2022

We feel seen.

Happy Halloween!

09/06/2022

Many thanks to the good people at Butler U., who recently welcomed Stasia to speak with their advancement team.

We love talking about planned giving and cultivating opportunities to create legacies of generosity through estate planning.

Go Dawgs!

08/30/2022

Sending a million “thank-you’s “ to our friends, clients, and colleagues who joined us at The Vogue last weekend for the Indianapolis Bar Associations “Indybar’s Got Talent” show!

There were accordions. There were cowboy hats and fancy western shirts.

And, best of all, we were able to raise a tidy sum of money for the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, which provides legal support & services to Central Indiana families of limited means-as well as law students and young lawyers as they embark on their careers.

Special thanks to fellow musicians and good humans, Brian Deer, Dean Metcalf, and Matt Wilson, who joined Stasia on acoustic guitar, upright bass, and lap steel.

We even showed up in the lawyer newspaper on Monday morning.

Ain’t life grand?

Thanks for cheering us on- and for affirming the reality that accordion-playing and lawyering can intersect for the greater good!

07/25/2022

We’re a “get-to-know-you” law firm.

So here’s a little “get-to-know-you” about us!

To be featured in a Member Spotlight, fill out the short form at indybar.org/spotlight. Not a member? Join today at indybar.org/join!

02/14/2022

Here's what happens when lawyers make Valentines.

Happy Valentine's Day to our wonderful clients, colleagues, and friends.

We love our work because of YOU!

01/19/2022

Need a little inspiration on a gray, January day?

Meet Belva Lockwood-one of the first female lawyers in the U.S.!

This little spitfire was nearly 40 when she decided to enroll at the National University School of Law in 1871 (the first year that the law school opened courses to women.)

Upon graduation, the law school refused to grant her a diploma.

Belva wrote letters directly to Ulysses S. Grant (yes, THAT Ulysses S. Grant), demanding that the university recognize her coursework with the diploma she said had been promised.

The university quietly mailed her a degree several days later.

Belva faced additional hurdles in securing bar admission-but eventually became the first woman admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court.

She eventually moved to Washington D.C.-in the 1880s-where she regularly made news by transporting herself to and from work via a tricycle- and eventually ran for President of the United States.

Be like Belva.

Don't give up!

A well-known Washington, D.C. lawyer and activist, Belva Ann Lockwood became the first woman admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court on March 3, 1879.

Lockwood began pursuing law as one of fifteen women admitted to the law program at National University in Washington, D.C. in 1871. Once she completed the course, university administrators—facing objection from male students and alumni—refused to issue Lockwood a diploma. Without a diploma, she was “denied admission to the D.C. bar in 1872.”

In January 1873, Lockwood sent a letter to the White House explaining her situation to President Ulysses S. Grant. At that time, President Grant was serving as president ex officio of the National University Law School.

After not receiving a reply, Lockwood wrote a second letter in September in which she stated, “I desire to say to you that I have passed through the curriculum of study in this school, and am entitled to, and demand, my diploma.”

President Grant’s personal Secretary, Levi P. Luckey, wrote to Lockwood informing her that the president had “brought up” her concerns in a Cabinet meeting, but that there was “no authority to grant the request made outside of Congress.” Although Lockwood’s request seemed hopeless, she managed to receive her diploma two weeks later, and was soon admitted to the D.C. bar.

In October 1876, a male colleague nominated Lockwood for admission to the bar of the Supreme Court but “she was rejected by a vote of six to three.” Lockwood decided to draft her own bill, which became known as “A Bill to Relieve Certain Legal Disabilities of Women.” Representative John M. Glover of Ohio introduced the bill on the House floor. The bill passed in the House on February 21, 1878, and a year later in the Senate. Following her victory, Lockwood called on First Lady Lucy Webb Hayes, who complimented Lockwood on her achievement.

On February 15, 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes signed the legislation into law. Lockwood became the first female lawyer to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court on November 30, 1880.

Image: Library of Congress

01/10/2022

Some days, we get to meet with clients and draft legal documents.

Other days, we get to don a black robe and RBG collar, stand before two beautiful people who are deeply in love… and officiate a wedding.





01/03/2022

Hello 2022.

We see you out there, valiantly tiptoeing back into the rhythm of things.

Here’s to staying healthy (!), eating clean, being more intentional with time, and getting those little ducks in a row.

We usually get lots of estate planning inquiries at the beginning of each year as people make good on their resolutions.

We can help with that.
(But you’re on your own for the cooking.)

12/22/2021

A weary world rejoices!

In order to allow us to spend time with our families around the holidays, we are closing our office today.

We will re-open on Monday, January 3rd, bright-eyed and ready for action.

Wishing you and yours good health, much peace, and joy in unexpected places this holiday season and for the coming year!

12/14/2021

We take our work seriously.

But we definitely don’t take ourselves too seriously…

Here’s the next installment in our line of truly inspired “estate planning greeting cards “ designed by our friend, Lindsay Hadley.

Our real purpose behind these irreverent cards is that we want to encourage everyone to have those uncomfortable conversations about estate planning with their loved ones.

Because they matter.

And because somebody, at some point, will need to look after the dog.

Need help walking through uncomfortable conversations?

We can help.

12/10/2021

A stray kitty showed up on our office doorstep over a decade ago.

We fed her breakfast and built her a cozy house by the back entrance.

In return, she slowly grew to trust us. She kept an eye on the place, greeted hundreds of clients over the years, and occasionally stole an inside nap. She became our accidental mascot.

We had to say goodbye to Kagan this week.

We'll miss our shadow. But we're grateful that we got to know her-and that many of you did too.