Purdue Global Law School alumna accepted into inaugural Rural Practice Academy

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Following her momentous admission to the Indiana bar in 2025, Purdue Global Law School alumna Abby Strehle has been selected as one of 15 attorneys for the Indiana State Bar Association’s (ISBA) inaugural Rural Practice Academy.

Strehle, who founded Greenwood-based Encompass Legal Services to practice elder and healthcare law, applied for the academy after learning of the opportunity from ISBA leadership. The yearlong program is designed to equip attorneys with the tools, skills and connections needed to build sustainable practices in underserved communities. Strehle is also a nurse practitioner.

“Purdue Global Law School and Dean Martin Pritikin have emphasized that a mission for their grads is to be part of the solution to the attorney shortage in Indiana and beyond,” Strehle said. “As a graduate of the law school and part of the first cohort of alumni admitted to the Indiana bar, I feel like it is my duty to further the mission.”

While Strehle credits Purdue Global Law School with providing her a solid foundation of legal knowledge for her practice, she noted that practical application requires ongoing learning — a skill the academy aims to help build.

“To procedurally practice law, I am relying on my mentors and independent research,” Strehle said. “The ISBA’s Rural Practice Academy is designed to help bridge the gap between legal education and legal practice.”

More than a year in as an Indiana attorney, Strehle is expanding her firm’s practice into adult guardianships, leveraging her medical background to navigate complex cases after being introduced to the need by a fellow nurse-attorney.

“An incapacitated adult has medical issues that require them to need help. I believe my experience in the healthcare field is valuable in understanding the issues that affect these individuals and helping advocate for their needs,” Strehle said.

Strehle will present at the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum’s Elder Law Institute in October and the Adult Guardianship Symposium in December.