AUG. 3-16, 2022
After a gunman who opened fire in the Greenwood Park Mall was gunned down by an armed bystander, several questions were raised — was the bystander allowed to have a gun at the mall? Could he be held criminally liable for opening fire, even though he likely saved lives? Indiana Lawyer managing editor Jordan Morey dives into those questions and finds lawyers who can provide some answers. Meanwhile, the abortion debate continues in Indiana as lawmakers tackle what has turned out to be a difficult task: crafting anti-abortion legislation. IL senior reporter Marilyn Odendahl has those updates. And in the Litigation Support/Technology Focus, IL reporter Katie Stancombe provides a glimpse of what a future cameras-in-courts plan could look like in Indiana courtrooms. Read those stories, and more, in the Aug. 3-16, 2022, issue of Indiana Lawyer.
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Greenwood shooting prompts questions: Incident puts spotlight on changes to Indiana gun laws
In the aftermath of the Greenwood Park Mall shooting, many open-carry advocates have pointed to the incident as an example of the need for more “good guys with guns,” while those calling for more restrictions have argued the outcome will lead to more shootings, but with unfavorable outcomes. Regardless of a person’s stance on gun rights, questions regarding Indiana’s gun access laws have once again come into play.
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Promises coming due: Republican lawmakers struggle to craft abortion ban that satisfies anti-abortion constituents
For decades, Indiana GOP lawmakers have promised their constituents that, given the chance, they would ban abortion. But in the first week of a special session, the legislators are learning that saying what they are going to do is easier than actually doing it.
Read MoreThreats toward federal judges increasing nationwide: IN judges say they’re not feeling same effects
In the early morning hours of June 8, a 26-year-old man with a gun and knife was detained by law enforcement outside of the Maryland home of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. While troublesome, the incident wasn’t an outlier — it fell in line with a national trend.
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In a time of need: Mental health crisis line raises questions about delegating provider, police responses
Federal legislation enacted in October 2020 designated 988 as the three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The shorter dialing number went live nationally on July 16, and calls in Indiana are answered at three crisis prevention centers.
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Providing ‘the right services at the right time in the right place’: Faegre Drinker’s John Stanley leads team focused on supporting attorneys
If John Stanley and his team of roughly 400 do their jobs correctly, no one will notice. Stanley oversees a wide range of behind-the-scenes activities at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP that attorneys and their clients might not pay much attention to unless whatever object or service they want is missing or malfunctioning. Across 21 global offices, he and his team handle such matters as operations administration, real estate, travel, hospitality and research and information.
Read MoreSB 1 fanning worries about recruiting: Attorneys concerned abortion ban could make IN unattractive to new hires
Indianapolis attorney William Rosenbaum said he sees a link between the abortion ban being crafted in the Indiana Statehouse and the number of lawyer jobs being filled in Indiana. Rosenbaum’s firm, Rosenbaum Law P.C., is among more than 200 Hoosier businesses that recently signed a letter calling on lawmakers to maintain access to reproductive health.
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Web Exclusive: Meet the judges: Jasper Circuit Judge John Potter
The pivotal moment in Jasper Circuit Judge John Potter’s life that led to his decision to enter the legal profession goes back to his days in undergrad. Potter is the latest Indiana trial court judge to be featured in the Indiana Lawyer spotlight series focused on the state’s judicial officers in more rural communities.
Read MoreIndiana Court Decisions – July 13-27, 2022
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the latest reporting period.
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Going live? Broadcast pilot draws some interest, provides glimpse of future possibilities
Last month, the Indiana Supreme Court announced it was seeking the public’s input on a proposed rule amendment to Judicial Conduct Rule 2.17, which would give Indiana trial judges discretion to allow “news media” to broadcast, televise, record and photograph court proceedings. That’s as long as the cameras don’t distract court participants or impair the dignity of the proceedings, the proposed rule says.
Read More‘Law bots’ not taking over attorneys’ in-house jobs
In the panic that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate legal departments went looking for their contracts to figure out which provisions were binding and which were eliminated under the “Act of God” clause. That scramble accelerated the growing trend of in-house attorneys adopting and using technology geared toward the legal industry.
Read MoreAlbaugh: Legal technology from the client’s perspective: Good and bad
Recently during a lunch with a business owner and client, I asked about legal technology that she likes and that makes her life easier. Her answer — and the answers received after asking others — was enlightening.
Read MoreSmith: Written advocacy in the electronic age: Do’s and don’ts
Embracing the recent advances in technology, every court in Indiana is now part of the Indiana Electronic Filing System. This means almost every judge in this state — from small claims to the Supreme Court — now reads some part of your written work product on an iPad, laptop, smartphone or computer screen. Many attorneys, however, still have not changed their writing styles and practices to reflect this, and they are missing significant advocacy opportunities as a result.
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Brinkerhoff: Poetic advice: Be kind while there is still time
One of my favorite podcasts, “Men in Blazers,” is led in part by a beautiful soul named Roger Bennett, whose recall of works of literature (among his other gifts) is stunning even to this trivia nerd. When discussion on the podcast turns from soccer to things way more important than soccer, Bennett often recites the poignant closing lines of Philip Larkin’s “The Mower” from “Collected Poems,” which inspired me in writing this column and which advice I hope we can all remember: “… we should be careful/Of each other, we should be kind/While there is still time.”
Read MoreDillman: Economic instability and the need to plan for long-term care
The current economic crisis has rattled the confidence of all of us, including my clients. If you are in a practice that focuses on pre-planning, then I am sure you are seeing a similar reaction. Clients who are typically proactive are now pulling back on the reins and taking care of immediate needs — doing just enough to address these immediate needs — rather than preparing for the near future.
Read MoreHammerle on… “Downton Abbey: A New Era” and “Thor: Love and Thunder”
Indianapolis criminal defense attorney Robert Hammerle gives us his take on “Downton Abbey: A New Era” and “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
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IndyBar: President’s Message: Give Us More Summer!
Gone are the summers that lasted from Memorial Day to Labor Day. And to those naysayers who say we can’t get the 180 days of required schooling in without a shorter summer, I say, “baloney!”
Read MoreIndyBar: The Most Valuable Voir Dire? What you need to hear vs. What you want to hear
The information learned during voir dire will, of course, inform the parties’ actions regarding peremptory and causal challenges. In addition, it provides some insight about individual jurors ultimately seated on the jury, the overall composition of the jury and individuals who have a higher probability of serving as the foreperson.
Read MoreIndyBar: September is IndyBar Member Appreciation Month!
While it’s our goal year-round to make you, IndyBar members, more profitable and productive in your practice, we’re taking extra care during the month of September to show you how much we appreciate you!
Read MoreIndyBar: WIP It Good: What Can Work in Progress Tell You About the Future of Your Law Firm?
“Work in Progress” (often abbreviated to WIP) is a representation of work outstanding for law firm clients. While most lawyers just let it ride and take it for granted that the work just keeps coming in and keeps getting done — WIP has some predictive powers that law firms are largely ignoring.
Read MoreIndyBar: Help Us Honor Excellence: Nominations Now Open for IndyBar Recognition Awards
The Indianapolis legal community is fortunate to be home to many talented, dedicated professionals, and we need your help in identifying our colleagues who went above and beyond this past year!
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