In This Issue of Indiana Lawyer

JULY 8-21, 2020

Shining a light on a little-told success story — that two-thirds of Hoosier youths in foster care exit the system and are are successfully reunited with their natural parents — Marion County court staff held a celebration to mark National Reunification Month for the first time in Indiana. Like the rest of the state, lawyers aren’t heading back to the office all at once — in fact, some aren’t heading back at all. The new normal of “working from home” has become so engrained that firm leaders say they don’t expect their employees to return to the old lifestyle of commuting into the office every day. And as Hoosier trial courts prepare for the return of in-person proceedings with COVID-19 precautions, many unanswered questions remain about the best practices for safely conducting jury trials.

Top StoriesBack to Top

Family ties: Reunification celebration spotlights families who achieve stability

Although many may be skeptical of parents whose children are removed from their care, statistics show that nearly 67% of Hoosier youths exit foster care and are successfully reunited with their moms and dads. Those stories of resilience inspired the Marion Superior Court Juvenile Division and the Marion County Public Defender Agency to celebrate National Reunification Month for the first time in Indiana.

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‘Back to work’ looks remotely different

Like the rest of the state, lawyers aren’t heading back to the office all at once — in fact, some aren’t heading back at all. The new normal of “working from home” has become so engrained that firm leaders say they don’t expect their employees to return to the old lifestyle of commuting into the office every day.

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FocusBack to Top

Cost transparency efforts advance in medicine

The Trump administration won a court ruling last month upholding its plan to require insurers and hospitals to disclose prices for common tests and procedures in a bid to promote competition and push down costs. The federal court decision comes as Indiana prepares to enact its own health care price transparency legislation next year.

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OpinionBack to Top

Betz: Real, specific demands to confront systemic racism in Indiana

The Black Lives Matter movement jolted us from our self-satisfied stasis. But to change things, we must do things. If silence is violence, then speaking without specifics is only nominally better. To bring the justice protesters so desire, it is time to recognize the deeply embedded systemic racism in Indiana and develop a list of specific demands to yield measurable results. The risk of not doing so is too great: the country simply cannot become further torn over racial injustice.

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JLAP: Of course I heard you. What did you say?

I’m a lawyer, so I’m a good communicator, right? Or at least I have been conditioned to believe that. In my own practice, I listen and respond to arguments all the time. Reflecting on my personal interactions, I would like to think that I take the time to look and listen to the person I am speaking with. So what more could I do? Doesn’t this mean I’m a good listener? If attorneys are supposedly so good at communicating, do I know what am I actually communicating when I interact with colleagues, coworkers and clients?

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Hammerle on… Baseball

“Field of Dreams” (1989) captures the essence of baseball. The immortal line, “If you build it, he will come,” will always reminds me of my late father. As kids, he played catch with me and my brothers in a field near our house, and I still see him waving at me when I drive by that location in Batesville. As baseball tries to play a short season, I am reminded of my love of the game.

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Bar AssociationsBack to Top

IndyBar President’s Column: A Salute to Dean Klein

Dean Andrew Klein routinely tells us that he isn’t going anywhere after his one-year sabbatical. He intends to return to the classroom at IU McKinney. Law students will be better off for it. He intends to continue to support the IndyBar and the IBF and, in turn, the Indianapolis legal community. Our profession will be better off for it.

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IndyBar: Practical Tips to Bolster Your Legal Hold Notice

The IndyBar E-Discovery, Cybersecurity and Information Governance Section leaders Jennifer Tudor Wright and Katrina Gossett Kelly recently presented another successful and informative CLE entitled “Practical Tips to Bolster your Legal Hold Notice.” Jennifer and Katrina drew on their e-discovery experience and reviewed key elements of a legal hold notice, case law updates, confidentiality/privilege issues and additional considerations for attorneys and their clients.

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IndyBar: Indiana Recording Law Change Effective July 1

As of July 1, 2020, all instruments which are to be recorded in the State of Indiana (deeds, mortgages, etc.) will need to comply with a modification to Indiana Code 32-21-2-3(a). Specifically, the Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Enrolled Act 340 during its 2020 session, which included a provision changing an “or” to an “and” in Indiana Code 32-21-2-3(a). The change invoked a requirement of common law “proof”, which is the requirement of a disinterested party to the transaction serving as a witness to the execution of an instrument.

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DTCI: Finding gratitude for the practice of law in difficult times

Practicing law occupies your mind. Being a lawyer has been described as a thinking job and not just a doing job. Lately the news around us has been horrible, and the decisions we face about tasks as simple as buying groceries have been daunting. In these times, I have found my law practice to be a welcome respite from the world around me.

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