While leading the student-run Denisonian during the Black Demands Shut Down of 1970 and teaching newswriting classes to underclass students, Lindeman kept thinking about a career in journalism, but without a journalism program, he continued his studies in history and later attended law school at Vanderbilt University.
After completing law school in 1974, Lindeman applied to several journalism positions, but his experience didn’t resonate with employers. He went on to have a successful law career, first with the Toledo Legal Aid Society and then in Washington, D.C., working for the Legal Services Corporation, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Justice Department’s Environmental Enforcement Division.
When offered early retirement in 2001, he saw an opportunity to begin his second career as a journalist and was hired by the Bureau of National Affairs (which became part of Bloomberg News). His understanding of federal agencies and the legal process were seen as assets as a White House reporter during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He discovered that journalism was a lot like litigation, and he already had 25 years of experience asking probing questions.
Lindeman enjoyed his reporting work and joked that he would “do this for free.” Along with the White House, he covered congressional leadership and the Supreme Court, including the confirmation hearings for justices Roberts, Alito, Kagan, and Sotomayor.
