Charley, Sr. has been practicing law since 1957. He served as County Attorney for Tippecanoe County in 1965, and was an adjunct professor of law at Valparaiso School of Law in 1972, teaching Trial Practice. In addition to concentrating in serious personal injury at Vaughan & Vaughan, he also practices in the area of Condemnation Law.
Attorney Vaughan has been listed since 1994 in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of personal injury litigation. He has been repeatedly voted as an Indiana Super Lawyer in Indianapolis Monthly by his peers and received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 from the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association.
In addition, he was the recipient of The Indiana Trial Lawyer of the Year for his courageous representation of Ryan White. Mr. Vaughan, Sr. and his son, Charley, Jr., worked to fight discrimination against children with AIDS. Through their efforts, Ryan White was allowed to return to school despite his illness. Their efforts led to a change in the law and ultimately to the enactment of the Ryan White Act and helped to lessen discrimination against AIDS victims across the country.
Mr. Vaughan is an avid equestrian and has won many prizes and awards, including a national championship in Reining in the Arabian class. He enjoys playing golf with his son, Charley, Jr., and spending time with his grandchildren and his family.
Education
- Indiana University A.B., 1953
- Valparaiso University School of Law J.D., 1957
Associations and Awards
- Indiana Trial Lawyer of the Year, 1987
- Listed since 1994 in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of personal injury litigation
- Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 from the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association
Memberships
- Indiana Trial Lawyers Association (Sustaining Member; President 1966)
- The Association of Trial Lawyers (Sustaining Member)
- Lawyer Pilots Bar Association
- Indiana College of Trial Lawyers (Charter Member)
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Litigation Council of America (Charter Fellow)
“I have always marched to my own drummer. Some have called me a maverick. To me, this has always been a compliment. I, and the generation of Vaughan lawyers before me, have strived to be leaders, not followers. This is what I offer to our clients and it has served them and our firm well.”
