State, federal court pro bono efforts

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana Proposed Local Rule 87

• Creates two pools of attorneys to represent indigent litigants: voluntary panel and obligatory panel, made up of attorneys who have appeared a certain number of times in the District Court. Government and legal aid attorneys and those who live outside the district are exempted from the obligatory panel.

• Obligatory panel attorneys will not be required to represent an indigent litigant more than once a year and may move to withdraw on certain grounds.

• Obligatory panel attorney may negotiate a fee arrangement with the litigant and may file a motion for attorney fees. Litigant will bear the cost of any expenses associated with the litigation, but recruited counsel can advance payment. Attorney may request prepayment or reimbursement of expenses from the court.

Indiana Supreme Court order amending Rules of Professional Conduct

• Creates Coalition for Court Access to improve delivery of civil legal service to low- and moderate-income Hoosiers; incentivize more lawyers to offer pro bono services; and expand opportunities for lawyers to volunteer.

• Members appointed by Supreme Court and the Indiana Bar Foundation.

• Coalition may undertake tasks in collaboration with the Indiana Bar Foundation, bar associations and other organizations; supervise district committees with the approval of the Bar Foundation; make recommendations to the Bar Foundation and Supreme Court for disbursement of funds; create subcommittees to help with mission; and provide a report of activities by July 1 of each year.