Crystal Rowe spent five years working as a judicial clerk at the Indiana Court of Appeals and another year working as a trial court clerk in Allen County before joining Kightlinger & Gray, LLP. These experiences give her a deep understanding of appellate and trial practice, enabling her to more efficiently assist clients with Appellate, Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith, Professional Liability, and General Insurance Defense matters. Crystal also has experience before the Department of Administration.

Crystal is an active member of several legal and professional organizations. She is a past Chair of the Indiana State Bar Association’s Appellate Section and has held other leadership positions in the Indiana State Bar Association, Floyd County Bar Association, American Bar Association (ABA) Counsel of Appellate Lawyers, Defense Research Institute (DRI), and Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana (DTCI). In 2016, Crystal was appointed to the Supreme Court Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure—a Committee charged with reporting to the Indiana Supreme Court from time to time with recommendations and proposed amendments to promote simplicity in procedure, just determination of litigation, and elimination of unjustified expense and delay. Crystal was a participant in the Indianapolis Bar Leader Series III and the Appellate Practice Institute. In 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014, Crystal was selected for inclusion on the Rising Stars list published in Indiana Super Lawyers Magazine.  Crystal currently serves as the Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group.

Publications & Speaking Engagements

• Moderator and Presenter, A Look at Indiana’s Appellate Courts: Statistics, Trends & Amicus Practice, Panel Discussion and CLE for the Indiana State Bar Association, 2017
• Moderator and Organizer, Appellate Practice Skills Seminar focusing on E-Filing in Indiana’s Appellate Courts, Panel Discussion and CLE for the Indiana State Bar Association, 2016
• Presenter, Persuasive Appellate Writing, CLE for the Indiana State Bar Association’s Solo and Small Firm Conference, 2016
• Moderator, Effective Appellate Advocacy, Panel Discussion and CLE for the Indiana State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting 2013
• Presenter, Court of Appeals Argument Tips and Plenary Session on Recent Amendments to Indiana Appellate Rules, CLE for the Floyd County Bar Association, 2012
• Presenter, Appellate Practice Survey, Panel Discussion and CLE for ICLEF, 2011
• Facilitator, Diversity in Appellate Practice, Panel Discussion and CLE for the Indiana State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting, 2010

Education

• Indiana University, 1997
• Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 2000
• Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, Editor-in-Chief

Admissions

• Indiana, 2000
• Kentucky, 2006
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court

Memberships

• 7th Circuit Bar Association
• American Bar Association (ABA)
• Council of Appellate Lawyers (CAL) – Chair of Publications Committee, 2011-2013
• Council of Appellate Lawyers (CAL) – Board Member of Executive Committee, Representing the Interests of Indiana, 2009 – 2011
• Council of Appellate Lawyers (CAL) – Editor of Appellate Issues, 2009 – 2011
• Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana (DTCI) – Amicus Committee Member
• Floyd County Bar Association (FCBA) – President, 2011-2013
• Floyd County Bar Association (FCBA) – Vice President, 2010-2011
• Floyd County Bar Association (FCBA) – Secretary-Treasurer, 2009-2010
• Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) – Appellate Section, Chair, 2017–2018 (and has held multiple leadership roles in the Section from since 2007)
• Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) – Board of Governor, 2014-2016
• Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) – Contributor to the Indiana Appellate Practice Manual, 2008
• Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) – Appellate Rules Update Committee, 2008
• Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) – Indiana Bar Leader Series III Participant, 2005-2006
• Inn of Court
• Kentucky Bar Association (KBA)
• Louisville Bar Association (LBA)
• One Southern Indiana

Kightlinger and Gray

Since 1946, when Erle A. Kightlinger and Mark W. Gray began practicing law together in Indianapolis, the firm’s mission has been to ensure that the interests of our clients are vigorously promoted in a professional, ethical manner. Although their early practice was general in nature, Erle and Mark placed a strong emphasis on litigation skills. Erle and Mark believed that a litigation background would better enable the firm’s attorneys to advise clients on how to avoid the costs and uncertainties of lawsuits when possible and how to minimize the expense and risk when litigation cannot be avoided. This perspective allowed the firm to expand into a broad range of non-litigation practice areas and business advisory services in addition to its traditional litigation practice. More than 60 years later, that mission—coupled with deep industry experience and a robust reputation to match—remains.