The Indiana Supreme Court is one of 13 international finalists being recognized for recent technology efforts, which include the case management system being phased in statewide to connect all county courts.
The 7th Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions Committee is accepting public comments regarding the proposed Family and Medical Leave Act pattern civil jury instructions for the Circuit Court. The committee welcomes comment before submission to the Circuit Council for approval and promulgation. Congress on Jan. 28 extended FMLA eligibility to include employees who need time off to handle certain qualifying “exigencies” related to certain family members’ service or call-up for service in a war, national emergency, or military operation designated by the…
The 11th annual Tabor Institute in Legal Ethics lectures featuring a bench and bar lecture and a public lecture will be April 24 at Valparaiso University School of Law. Both lectures are free and open to the public. The bench and bar lecture, “Gatekeepers: The Role of the Law School and the Bar in Regulating Access to the Profession (A Reflection on Traffic Tickets, Microwaving Cats, and Spanking),” George Washington University Law School professor Theresa A. Gabaldon will explore the growing…
The future of mass transit in Indianapolis will be the subject of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana’s next First Wednesday discussion.The discussion will be from noon to 12:50 p.m. April 2 at the Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis. Panelists include Gil Holmes, president of IndyGo; economist Morton Marcus, who has written about why he doesn’t think people would give up their cars to ride mass transit in Indiana if given the choice; and Nuvo editor David…
St. Joseph County Bar Association members have evaluated the five St. Joseph Superior judges up for retention this year – Judges Roland W. Chamblee Jr., David C. Chapleau, Jerome Frese, Jenny Pitts Manier, John M. Marnocha, Jane Woodward Miller, and Michael P. Scopelitis. All of the judges received a combined average score of either average/acceptable or above average.
The president and CEO of Common Cause, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that aims to hold elected officials accountable, will be the keynote speaker at a CLE luncheon co-sponsored by the organization and AARP Indiana
An alumnus of Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington has donated $4 million to the law school to provide scholarships for students. California criminal defense attorney Donald P. Dorfman gave the money with the goal of helping students who are working their way through school. The entire gift will be dedicated to endowed scholarships and qualifies for matching funds as part of IU’s Matching the Promise campaign, which is why Dorfman decided to make the donation now. Dorfman received the…
An Indiana Supreme Court justice is in South Bend today to actively encourage attorneys to apply for an opening on the St. Joseph Superior Court that will be available when Judge William T. Means retires Sept. 30.”Being a judge is a challenging but enormously gratifying way for an attorney to use all of his or her legal skills in a way that improves both the quality of life in our community and the quality of justice in our state,” Justice Frank…
Two central Indiana law firms have been recognized by the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce as being “green.” Bose McKinney & Evans and Ice Miller were accepted into the chamber’s new Green Business initiative along with four other businesses. The initiative requires applicants to meet certain requirements – be a current member of the chamber, be at least a bronze member of the Central Indiana Clean Air Partnership, and complete an application for review. In addition, members of the Green Business…
The Indiana Supreme Court travels to Terre Haute Monday for arguments in a case dealing with “robocalls.” The issue in State of Indiana v. American Family Voices, Inc., Jim Gonzalez, and John Does 2-10, is whether pre-recorded, automated “robocalls” with political content can be limited under Indiana’s Automatic Dialing Machine Statute, Indiana Code Section 24-5-14-5.The case stems from complaints about American Family Voices’ use of automated calls; the attorney general’s office filed an action against the group in September 2006 in…
The Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence recently honored nine individuals, including an Elkhart County prosecutor and a Lake Circuit magistrate judge, for the positive impact they have on the lives of domestic violence victims.
The Protective Order Pro Bono Project is celebrating its first anniversary of the merger with the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Since the two groups merged in July 2007, the project has served more than 1,500 new clients seeking protective orders and completed more than 2,600 contacts or services for clients. Kerry Hyatt Blomquist, legal director of the project, has reviewed more than 100 cases and represented 70 cases. The project is divided into two programs: the Protective Order Project, which…
A free CLE program featuring discussion about the international prosecution of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity will take place in the Indiana Supreme Court’s Courtroom from 3 to 4:30 p.m. May 7. Event organizers have received enough RSVPs to fill the room, but stand-by reservations are still being accepted as of today for what planners say is a short waiting list so far.This program has been approved for 1.5 CLE credit hours. For those unable to make it, there…
Two Indiana Supreme Court justices will be on hand in Indianapolis tomorrow for a demonstration of a new, statewide electronic ticketing system.Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard and Justice Frank Sullivan will join Indianapolis Public Safety Director Scott Newman and law enforcement to show how the new system will work. Called eCWS – electronic Citation and Warning System – the new mobile system allows police to create tickets electronically and send them to a central location for law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts…
The Indiana Supreme Court is sponsoring a lecture celebrating the 221st anniversary of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and the legal issues related to Indiana’s southern borders established by the ordinance. The lecture will begin at 3 p.m. on July 14.Seating in the Supreme Court’s courtroom for “221 Years of Unsettled Borders: Indiana and the Northwest Ordinance” is no longer available for the free lecture, but a monitor and overflow seating will be available in the atrium area, as well as…
The Jordan H. and Joan R. Leibman Annual Forum this month at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis will discuss the valuation of art. The event examines issues related to the legal and business environment of the arts.
The newest Indiana Court of Appeals judge will formally join the court Friday. Judge Elaine Brown’s robing ceremony will be in the courtroom of the Indiana Supreme Court. Judge Brown’s first day on the court was May 5. Chief Judge John Baker will preside over the ceremony, and Gov. Mitch Daniels will join Judge Brown’s family, colleagues, and special guests to administer the oath of office. Judge Brown was named to the Indiana Court of Appeals by Gov. Daniels earlier this…
The Peace and Justice Studies Program at Marian College will present Global Peace and Justice Day at the college April 30. The event, which is free and open to the public, includes participating organizations such as Amnesty International USA, Indianapolis Peace & Justice Center, and Veterans for Peace. The event features art, drama, workshops, and videos to address the themes of peace and justice. Dori Dinsmore, director of Midwest Amnesty International USA, will give a keynote address, “Human Rights Violations: The…
A new annual event has been created by the Historical Society of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana to focus on past and present legal issues, part of the group's shift from project-focused events to membership focused efforts.
An Indiana high school junior who was prevented from trying out for her school’s baseball team because she is female will now be allowed to participate in tryouts. Heather Bauduin, a baseball player who relocated to Wabash, Ind., from California, was not allowed under an Indiana High School Athletic Association rule to try out for Wabash High School’s baseball team. Public Justice, a public interest law firm in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia firm Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin, represented Bauduin and…