Articles

Bill would allow whistleblower complaints against state

Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, has filed a bill that would extend whistleblower protections to state employees who speak up about government misdeeds or fiscal malfeasance. The legislation is in response to a split decision from the Indiana Supreme Court, which found the state whistleblower statute did not include workers in the public sector.

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Legal education still struggles to increase student diversity

The lack of racial and ethnic diversity continues to frustrate law schools and the entire legal profession. Within Indiana, the students at the four law schools remain primarily white and male, according to the American Bar Association’s 2017 Standard 509 reports.

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Problems persist as director quits DCS

The departure of Mary Beth Bonaventura as director of the Indiana Department of Child Services surprised several family law attorneys and social service providers. Uniformly, they agreed the former Lake County juvenile judge was a strong advocate for children and brought valuable experience to her tenure. Still, the department has struggled against internal and external challenges.

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Indiana gambler loses in tax court

In a case of first impression, a northwest Indiana man failed to convince the Indiana Tax Court that his blackjack playing was how he earned his living and, therefore, he should be eligible for certain gambling-related deductions from his state income taxes.

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Riley Hospital official appointed new DCS director

A day after Mary Beth Bonaventura left her position as director of the Indiana Department of Child Services, the Gov. Eric Holcomb has announced Terry Stigdon, clinical director of operations at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health in Indianapolis, will lead the agency.

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COA affirms defamation verdict but tosses punitive damages

The Indiana Court of Appeals deconstructed a tangle of lawsuits erupting over allegations of theft of more than $1 million from a home building company and ruled that although the accused was found to have breached his fiduciary duty and wrongly taken money, he was still defamed by his accuser.

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Law firm outlook for 2018 focuses on strengths, retaining talent

Major Lindsey & Africa, a recruitment and consulting firm for the legal industry, has released its 2018 Industry Outlook report outlining what law firms can expect in the new year. In short, law firms will remain under increasing pressure to keep costs low and productivity high, so firms are expected to focus on core strengths and retaining key personnel.

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New ILS project assists nonprofits serving the indigent

A new initiative launched at Indiana Legal Services is aimed at helping nonprofits with their legal needs. The Community Development Legal Project, which officially started in September, is designed to provide services to 501(c)(3) organizations that stretch their dollars to serve the indigent population and have little or no resources to spend on hiring attorneys to draft agreements, file for tax-exempt status, or handle other legal issues.

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Indiana law schools post decline in enrollment

Although nationally the number of 1L students starting law school in the 2017 fall semester increased, the 2017 first-year class enrolled Indiana’s four law schools declined by nearly 100 students compared to the class that began in 2016.

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Quadriplegic awarded $35 million by Marion County jury

A 32-year-old man who was rendered a quadriplegic following a single-car accident, was awarded a net $35 million Monday afternoon by a Marion County jury which is believed to be among the largest verdicts for a personal injury claim in Indianapolis.

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Southern District’s Lawrence to take senior status in 2018

Judge William T. Lawrence for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, has announced his decision to take senior status July 1, 2018, creating another opening in the Southern District that already has one judicial vacancy and is still recovering from the loss of two colleagues.

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