Welcome to my corner. 
I work on ethical and legal questions presented by human use of animals, alcohol research, the admission of forensic science into evidence, and public health law.  The questions of most interest to me include
1. How might we better protect the privacy of those who participate in human studies by improving the use of Certificates of Confidentiality issued by US Dept of Health and Human Services?
2. How might animal well being be protected by using concepts of ownership responsibilities rather than poorly grounded legal concepts of rights?
What are the motivations leading the rightists to promote views such as guardianships?  
3. What are the alcohol impacts on health and justice systems? What should be the research agenda to provide evidence based science to inform law and policy? How can communities best deal with underage drinking?
4. How can we use public health law approaches to promote health and justice? What are the alcohol related public health impacts?  How should research inform law and policy? Vice Versa? 

Life is interesting in my corner. 

Biosketch for Linda L. Chezem, J.D                         

Linda L. Chezem creates educational outreach opportunities between health related research, justice systems, and communities.  Chezem holds an appointment as Professor, Youth Development and Agriculture Education, College of Agriculture, Purdue University. She also has a part time appointment at the Indiana University School of Medicine in the Department of Medicine and Purdue School of Science- Indianapolis, Forensic Science Program, and is a senior research fellow of the Sagamore Institute.  She has held appointments at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis, , and an Affiliated Scholar with the Center for Public Health Law Partnerships at the University Of Louisville School Of Medicine.

Linda L. Chezem served twenty-two years as a full time judge in Indiana.  Her first bench was in a trial court in Lawrence County, Indiana. She has been appointed as a special judge in over 300 cases serving 25 different counties.  Her jurisdictional experience at trial court level ranged from traffic to felony-murder, marriage dissolution, probate, juvenile, and unlimited civil and criminal dockets. In 1988, Chezem was appointed to the Indiana Court of Appeals, Fourth District.  She was retained on a statewide yes/no vote in 1992. 

Chezem’s focus on the improvement of adjudication through judicial education led her to conclude that the abuse and dependence upon alcohol was the nexus of the single largest public health impact in the U.S. In 2001, through her service on the Morgan County, Indiana, Board of Health she recognized a compelling need for up to date materials and references for public health emergencies for the justice system.    While on the bench, her work included service on the Indiana Judicial Conference Education Committee (chair: 1990-1993); American Bar Association, Judicial Administration Division, 1980-1999; National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, 1982-1998, (Substance Abuse Training Committee: 1987-1993).   During her appointment to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Judicial Fellowship, (1993-1995), Chezem wrote The Improvement of the Adjudication of Driving Under the Influence. 

Chezem completed a fellowship (2000-2001) with the Mid-America Regional Public Health Leadership Institute) and served as a team mentor for the fellowship class of 2002-2003.

Chezem has received the following honors and awards: Indiana Academy of Law Alumni, Bloomington, Indiana, April 2007, Lawrence County Pacesetter, 2005, Women of Excellence, Lawrence County, Indiana, March, 2005: Distinguished Alumni Award, Indiana State University, October, 2000; Recognition of the Indiana General Assembly with a Joint Resolution of the Indiana House of Representatives and the Indiana Senate, January, 1998; Sagamore of the Wabash, awarded by Governor Frank O’Bannon, January, 1998; second Sagamore awarded by Governor Evan Bayh, January, 1997; first Sagamore awarded by Governor Robert D. Orr, June 15, 1988; National 4-H Alumni Award, United States Department of Agriculture for Outstanding Service to the 4-H Program, September 12, 1994; National Friend of Extension Award, Epsilon Sigma Phi, National Honorary Extension Fraternity, December 11, 1993; Indiana Friend of Extension Award, Lambda Chi Chapter of the Epsilon Sigma Phi, October 20, 1993;  Hoosier Hero, The Honorable Dan Coats, United States Senator from Indiana, November 26, 1991; 1990 Forum Series Award, Girls, Inc.;1990 Community Service Award, Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce, April 2, 1990; Distinguished Hoosier Award, Governor Robert D. Orr, January 3, 1989; Robert J. Kinsey Award for Outstanding Judicial Service and Support to the Children and Youth of Indiana, Indiana Judicial Symposium, June 15, 1988; Governor's Exemplary Project Award for the Lawrence County Life Skills Program, August 26, 1988; Governor's Exemplary Project Award for the Lawrence County Juvenile Casework Program, March 27, 1986.

Chezem has enjoyed serving the community in the following ways:

White House Conference for a Drug Free America.  Member of the Law Enforcement Advisory Committee.  Presented at the White House Conference, Washington, D.C., March 1, 1988

Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, Former Board Member and Vice President; 1991-2003

General Service Board for Alcoholics Anonymous, NY, NY, Class A (non alcoholic) Trustee and First Vice President; 1996-2002.

National Alliance for Alcohol Research and Education, Inc., Board Member, 2002 to present.

Public Health Law Association, Atlanta, GA, Board Member and co-Chair of the Products and Services Committee, 2004 to present.

Morgan County Board of Health, Morgan County, Indiana, member and as chair. Term ended Dec 31, 2004