OCT. 11-24, 2023
It's been two years since Indiana implemented the Uniform Bar Exam, and in that time, the July results have been slowly creeping up — but is it enough to call it the "UBE effect"? Law school leaders weigh in in a story by senior reporter Tyler Fenwick. Speaking of law schools: A Notre Dame Law professor recently published his first book. Reporter Alexa Shrake has more. And in the Diversity in Law Focus, Tyler explores why patent law, in particular, has a diversity problem. Read those stories and more in the Oct. 11-24, 2023, issue of Indiana Lawyer.
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The UBE, 2 years in: Still ‘too soon to know’ impact of new bar exam
Two years into the implementation of the Uniform Bar Exam, those who helped shepherd the test into Indiana and are responsible for helping students prepare say it’s probably too early to pin down what the exact impact has been.
Read MoreA ‘messy’ question: Who should pay for Rokita’s defense in discipline case?
The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission’s complaint, filed Sept. 18, has created a secondary issue — a question with an unclear answer: Who should pay for Rokita’s defense counsel?
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Years in the making: Notre Dame Law professor publishes book focused on laws of 18th century British Empire
Publishing a book is a feat of its own, but for University of Notre Dame Law School Professor Christian Burset, that feat was more than a decade in the making.
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Law schools adjust to affirmative action ruling: Admissions processes tweaked to comply with US Supreme Court opinion
It’s been a little more than three months since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions. Although the decision didn’t necessarily take law schools by surprise, it forced them to quickly adapt their admissions processes.
Read MoreBankruptcy filings slowly inch up in Indiana, nationally: Student loan repayments, credit card debt, inflation seen as key factors
Bankruptcy filings in Indiana’s Northern and Southern Districts fell in 2021 and 2022. But those filing numbers are starting to finally creep up, with year-over-year increases reported in the Northern and Southern Districts and nationally in June.
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Web Exclusive: Meet the Judges: Crawford Circuit Judge Justin Mills
After graduating from Indiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Crawford Circuit Judge Justin Mills worked at an insurance company in the litigation department. That’s where the spark ignited.
Read MoreIndiana Court Decisions: Sept. 21-Oct. 4, 2023
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
Read MoreFocusBack to Top
‘It’s a societal challenge’: Why patent law has a diversity problem
According to data collected through the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law, there are more patent attorneys and agents named Michael in the U.S. than there are racially diverse women.
Read MoreLee: ‘The look’ vs. ‘the sigh’
You’ve heard of “the look,” right? The one that people of color sometimes receive when they enter a store, walk down the street or just exist? I did not even realize “the look” existed until I was an adult.
Read MoreWright: Acknowledging implicit bias to support a culture of DEI
For any changes to truly be effective, all members of an organization must acknowledge their own implicit biases and actively interrupt them.
Read MoreWilliamson: Maintaining DEI programs after recent SCOTUS decision
When making employment and promotion decisions, employers may continue to promote DEI initiatives. The key is to focus on the underlying causes of disadvantage rather than explicitly focusing on race.
Read MoreWalker and Slaughter: The role of mentorship in retaining early-career attorneys
The coming years expect an increase in diverse early-career attorneys in law firms. Proactive mentorship can help retain them into partnership but will require both the firms and the early-career attorneys to be open-minded in the mentoring relationships.
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Maley: Diversity jurisdiction and LLCs
Whether federal question jurisdiction exists is typically apparent and not contested. Diversity jurisdiction, however, is improperly invoked with frequency.
Read MoreTrimble: A few things on the minds of lawyers everywhere
The issue of remote work remains an issue, but after more than a year of remote work, some answers have materialized, and now a number of other concerns have surfaced about the future of our profession.
Read MoreThuesen: Labor law in Germany vs. United States
I have had the wonderful opportunity to spend the fall of my 3L year studying at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany. One of my reasons for studying in Germany was that I wanted to experience a different country’s approach to labor and employment law.
Read MoreHammerle on… “Golda” and “The Little Mermaid”
Indianapolis criminal defense attorney Robert Hammerle gives us his take on “Golda” and “The Little Mermaid.”
Read MoreDisciplinary ActionsBack to Top
Disciplinary Actions: June 29-Sept. 30, 2023
Read a summary of disciplinary actions handed down by the Indiana Supreme Court during the third quarter of 2023.
Read MoreBar AssociationsBack to Top
IndyBar: Winingham Selected 2026 Bar Foundation President
W. Kent Winingham of Wilson Kehoe Winingham has been selected to lead the Indianapolis Bar Foundation in 2026.
Read MoreIndyBar: Real Stories of Depression Among Lawyers
On Sept. 20, the Indy Bar HEAL Committee (Helping Enrich Attorneys Lives) and JLAP (Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program) co-sponsored a unique, free seminar, “Depression and Lawyers: Real Stories.”
Read MoreIndyBar: Judicial Spotlight: Hon. Mark Stoner
Learn about Marion Superior Judge Mark Stoner.
Read MoreIndyBar: Practice Toolkit: Level Up: How Workflows are Established In Law Firms
Generally speaking, there are three stages that law firm owners need to move through before reaching the highest level of process management in their law firms, which is automated workflows.
Read MoreIndyBar: Response to Criticism of the Marion County Courts
The Indianapolis Bar Association has learned of recent public statements made by Doug Carter, Superintendent of the Indiana State Police, in a television interview regarding the Marion County criminal justice system and the Hon. Judge Jennifer Harrison.
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