OCT. 12-25, 2012
Law firm spending on smartphones, networks inches up. A diversity summit held by the St. Joseph County Bar Association shows more strides still need to be done in hiring and retaining minorities. Indiana is on the cusp of utilizing a new e-discovery tool.
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Too little diversity among attorneys
St. Joseph County Bar Association Diversity Committee recently organized a Diversity and Inclusion Summit to shed light on the low number of minorities in the law and bounce around ideas about attracting more minorities, women, and gays and lesbians to the practice of law.
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Death penalty foe Foster pumps up federal defenders
Taking charge at Indiana Federal Community Defenders Inc. in the Southern District, Monica Foster’s seeking, and getting, bigger caseloads.
Read MoreProposal would create umbrella commission for legal aid providers
A proposal before the Indiana Supreme Court could change the landscape for those who provide civil legal aid and pro bono service.
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Lady Justice gets ‘green’ makeover
The greening – literally – of the rooftop of the Indianapolis federal courthouse is part of a $66.8 million upgrade of the building with funds coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Work on the roof along with additional upgrades to increase the energy efficiency of the facility as well as to improve the public safety system began in December 2009 and was substantially complete on Aug. 27, 2012, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.
Read MoreIndiana Department of Child Services urged to set course for new direction
With a new governor taking over Indiana’s executive branch in January, what changes, if any, will come to the Department of Child Services are unknown. However, some contend that should not stop the agency from addressing criticism and implementing new policies or programs now.
Read MoreAfter 5 years, state court data system Odyssey isn’t halfway home
In the Greek epic “The Odyssey,” Homer’s hero Odysseus takes 10 years to return home after the Trojan War. Indiana’s Odyssey might take longer to reach its goal. Odyssey, the state-backed court case management system that aims to connect and modernize more than 400 trial courts, is continuing its laborious progress, locality by locality.
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Attorneys discover predictive coding
In the world of searching for relevant documents in the recesses of email inboxes and hard drives, a new high-tech tool has appeared that, despite causing trepidation among some attorneys, will likely become commonly used during the discovery process to tame the growing volumes of data.
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From iPhones to networks, law firm spending on systems ticks up
If your firm hasn’t bought you a new smartphone, provided better remote access options, or replaced an aging monitor lately, you might nudge the purchasing department.
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Lucas: Nominations for 2013 Leadership in Law awards being accepted
I encourage you to nominate an up-and-coming lawyer or distinguished barrister who you admire. Time is limited, and I realize that when it comes to discretionary projects like completing a nomination form, while our intentions are good, our follow-through can fall short. But there is something about the feeling derived from taking the time – or making the time – to do something like this that is so satisfying.
Read MoreDean’s Desk: Pro bono projects broaden opportunities, instill values
Preparing students for the rigors and complexity of today’s legal profession requires schools to focus not only on doctrinal analysis, but also on the complete set of professional competencies that successful lawyers require. Toward that end, the faculty at the I.U. Maurer School of Law has adopted a series of initiatives aimed at expanding the range of experiential learning opportunities available to our students.
Read MoreTechnology Untangled: Send and receive large files with ease
Using attachments in email is a common and simple method for sending files. There is, however, a problem when those attachments get too large. That is because there are file size limits on most email services for both sending and receiving attachments.
Read MoreNordstrom: Book offers little insight for experienced trial attorneys
Rodney Nordstrom reviews “Winning the Jury’s Attention: Presenting Evidence from Voir Dire to Closing.”
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Death row inmate’s habeas petition denied
A federal judge in South Bend has denied a death row inmate’s request for habeas corpus, rejecting the man’s claims that he is mentally retarded and, therefore, cannot be sentenced to death.
Read MoreWoman gets 4-year sentence for lying about being injured in State Fair collapse
One of the two women prosecutors say filed false claims in order to receive money from funds set up for victims of the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair in 2011 received a four-year sentence Friday.
Read MoreCourt video pilot project will last through 2013
The pilot project announced this summer by the Indiana Supreme Court that includes using video transcripts in three trial courts as the official court record will run through Dec. 31, 2013.
Read MoreConour drops attorneys, gets $15k from shrinking trust
Ex-attorney William Conour and his defense lawyers officially parted ways on Thursday. A federal judge afterward granted Conour’s request that he receive $15,000 from a $100,000 trust fund set up for compensating client victims he is accused of defrauding.
Read MoreJudges needed for moot court competition
Indiana University Maurer School of Law is seeking judges for its Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition Oct. 5 – Nov. 3.
Read MoreIndiana farmer’s tangle with seed producer over patent infringement gets SCOTUS review
The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to review a federal appeals court decision regarding patent infringement in a case involving an Indiana farmer and a seed producer.
Read MoreAttorneys general warn against federal payday loan regulation
A bill in Congress that would extend federal regulation to the payday lending industry would pre-empt state laws and undermine consumer safeguards, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller warned in a letter signed by 40 attorneys general.
Read MoreSCOTUS declines Indiana robo-call case
The Supreme Court of the United States came back for its 2012 session Monday and decided it will not take the appeal filed by a provider of prerecorded telephonic messages seeking to overturn enforcement of a ban on automated robo-calls in Indiana.
Read MoreBar releases results of judicial candidate evaluation
Evansville Bar Association members have overwhelmingly recommended five of the seven candidates running for Vanderburgh Superior Court, based on results from a recent survey.
Read MoreJudges’, prosecutors’ pension funds receive split of surplus reserves
Indiana’s Judges’ Pension Fund and Prosecutors’ Pension Fund will receive nearly 30 percent of the $360 million in surplus money from the state reserves, the governor’s office announced Thursday.
Read MoreSupreme Court amends disciplinary rule
Indiana Chief Justice Brent Dickson has signed an order amending Admission and Discipline Rule 23, Section 26 on the disciplinary commission and proceedings.
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Disciplinary Actions – 10/12/12
Read who’s had his license revoked and who has been suspended by the Indiana Supreme Court.
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DTCI: Rescission of insurance policies
How do insurers effectively rescind insurance policies?
Read MoreDTCI: Trimble named Insurance Lawyer of the Year
John C. Trimble, partner at Lewis Wagner and former president of the DTCI, has been named 2013 Indianapolis Insurance Law Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers.
Read MoreChinn: Special Relationships
A special relationship exists between the Indianapolis Bar Foundation and the Indianapolis Bar Association. It is easy to think of the IBF as the “fund raising arm” of the IndyBar. And that isn’t wrong.
Read MoreIBA: Indiana’s No-Smoking Law and Potential Penalties to Employers for Failure to Adhere
If you recall, smoking is now prohibited in most Indiana workplaces (exceptions being places like riverboats, horse racing facilities and other gaming facilities, retail tobacco stores, and bars that do not employ individuals under the age of 18 or allow individuals under the age of 21, other than employees, to enter, among other things). The law requires employers to prohibit smoking in areas within eight feet of a public entrance to a “place of employment” or a “public place.”
Read MoreIBA: Go West, IndyBar! Go West! Quality CLE & Networking Await You
It is with great pleasure that I will host this year’s IndyBar Destination CLE, taking place in Sedona, Arizona from November 15 to November 17. To entice your attendance, this year’s CLE will be held at the Enchantment Resort & Mii amo Spa, nestled into the red rock wall of Sedona’s Boynton Canyon.
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