State’s parenthood laws ruled unconstitutional
Indiana’s married lesbian parents win the right to be listed on their child’s birth certificate.
Marilyn Odendahl
Articles
Program helps ex-offenders steer clear of jail
Pilot project in Marion County Reentry Court seeks to lift driver’s license suspensions.
Award enables IU Maurer’s Geyh to serve alternative to debate over judicial selection
Charles Geyh has been chosen as one of just 33 professors from universities from around the country for the prestigious 2016 Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program. He is believed to be the first from IU Maurer to receive the recognition.
CPLI report highlights ‘crisis’ caused by school discipline practices
Describing the current disciplinary practices in Indiana school as creating “a crisis” that is disproportionately impacting African-American students, a new report is offering a framework for involving parents, educators, law enforcement and legislators to improve learning and reduce suspensions and expulsions in classrooms across the state.
Judge: Indiana’s parenthood statutes violate constitutional rights of same-sex couples
Indiana married same-sex couples have won the right to both be listed as parents on their children’s birth certificates.
Employers struggle with complicated immigration system
At the third meeting of the Senate Select Committee on Immigration Issues, business professionals and attorneys told committee members the measures Indiana has adopted in recent years have actually hurt the state’s economy and public safety.
Valparaiso Law School reduces faculty, class size to prepare for a different future
Valparaiso Law School is hardly the first to feel the pain of falling student applications, but as the subject of a recent profile in the New York Times, its troubles may be the most well-known.
Attorneys create for-profit guardianship company
After about a year of thinking and planning, two Indianapolis attorneys launched Scout Guardianship Services Inc. in December 2015. This for-profit business can function as either a guardian, attorney in fact or health care representative for adults who want and have the financial assets to pay for these services.
Prosecutors say ethics rules limit release of police body camera video
While it was being considered in the Statehouse, Indiana’s police body camera law brought a lot of public interest and at times public outcry. But as the new measure gets ready for action, prosecutors say the Rules of Professional Conduct restrict them from releasing the recordings.
Legal Service Corp.’s Levi putting spotlight on crisis in legal aid
Emphasizing that legal aid is having to turn away half of those who ask for assistance, Legal Service Corp. board chair John Levi is pushing to raise public awareness and ultimately get more resources flowing to legal services for low-income individuals.
Senate committee cautioned against trying to solve immigration headaches
Attorneys and business leaders repeatedly told state officials Wednesday that the immigration system is broken but the federal government, not Indiana, should make the repairs.
Senate committee unanimously supports Ong nomination
Winfield Ong received the support of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday to fill the vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. On a voice vote, the committee unanimously approved Ong’s nomination.
Senate immigration committee meeting to focus on economy
The Indiana Senate Select Committee on Immigration Issues, chaired by Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, will turn its attention to the impact of undocumented workers on Indiana’s economy during its meeting Wednesday.
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 […]
Can records of civil forfeitures be expunged?
The Indiana Supreme Court is considering whether files on property judgments "relate to the person’s felony conviction."
New Coalition for Court Access aims to improve delivery of civil legal services
After establishing three committees to tackle the persistent problem of unrepresented litigants trying to maneuver their way through the state’s judicial system, the Indiana Supreme Court has decided to start over.
Southern District proposes mandatory pro bono program
Flooded by pro se litigants and under pressure from the appellate circuit to provide attorneys, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is proposing the adoption of a mandatory pro bono program to supplement its volunteer pool.
Making an impact with justice in mind
The Indianapolis Bar Foundation’s grant program aids legal-related projects.
SCOTUS overturns infringement test for treble damages
In a consolidated case involving Indiana’s Zimmer Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court has tossed the standard test used to determine whether damages awarded in a patent infringement case should be tripled.