Awards

IU Indianapolis Spirit of Philanthropy Award - 2025

About Jill Harris Tanner

Joe and Jill Tanner are dedicated and longtime supporters of IU McKinney Law, and they also have a distinctive connection to the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Their family has three generations of lawyers who have earned their J.D. degrees from the law school.

Joe received a B.A. from Miami University in Ohio, and Jill earned a B.S. from the IU Kelley School of Business. Joe and Jill met at IU McKinney Law before Jill graduated in 1985 and Joe graduated in 1987. They both began their careers at Baker & Daniels, now Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, where Joe continues as partner. Jill served as Executive Director of the Indiana Health Facility Financing Authority and is now retired. Their son, Mitch Tanner, graduated in 2019 and is an associate at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. Joe’s father, the late John Tanner, graduated in 1963 and practiced law for more than fifty years.

With this deep family connection in mind, Joe and Jill established the Tanner Family Scholarship at IU McKinney Law in 2019 and continue to add to the endowment annually.