OCT. 25-NOV. 7, 2023
How should judges advise defendants of their appellate rights when their guilty plea includes an appeal waiver? At least one Indiana judge, plus a justice, think the Indiana Supreme Court needs to weigh in on that issue. IL senior reporter Tyler Fenwick has more. Meanwhile, southern Indiana's Hoosier National Forest is at the center of federal litigation and legislation. IL reporter Alexa Shrake has the details. And in the Legal Education/New Lawyers Focus, Alexa brings us the story of how first-generation law students are coming together to support each other. Read those stories and more in the Oct. 25-Nov. 7, 2023, issue of Indiana Lawyer.
Top StoriesBack to Top
‘We all like certainty’: Attorneys want more clarity on appeal waivers
A series of cases and decisions in Indiana’s appellate courts have left some defense attorneys and at least one judge hoping for more clarity on what rights to appeal a defendant retains after they’ve agreed to a plea deal.
Read MoreNAPABA brings annual convention to Indianapolis: November event to feature speakers, panel discussions on AANHPI issues
The convention is an annual gathering of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander attorneys, judges, law professors and law students and features dozens of speakers and a full agenda of panel discussions and continuing legal education programs.
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Government, environmental groups net win in forest fight
The Hoosier National Forest has been the focus of two lawsuits since 2020 aimed at stopping a controversial federal vegetation management plan that involves the logging and burning of several thousand acres within the forest.
Read MoreJuvenile incarceration trending down: Attorneys point to fewer arrests, more diversion
Youth incarceration in Indiana has been on a steady decline for years, with experts in the legal field pointing to an emphasis on diversion and other patterns in youth behavior more generally as explanations for the downward trend.
Read MoreCity, town court judges to appear on November ballot
Voters in 25 Indiana counties will select their local city and/or town court judges when they head to the polls on Nov. 7.
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Web Exclusive: Meet the Judges: Daviess Circuit Judge Gregory Smith
Daviess Circuit Judge Gregory Smith was on a completely different career path when his law school acceptance letter arrived.
Read MoreIndiana Court Decisions: Oct. 5-18, 2023
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
Read MoreFocusBack to Top
Connecting through community: First-generation programs help law students feel like they belong
Being a first-generation student can mean many things, like the feeling of impostor syndrome or extra pressure to rise up the academic ladder.
Read MoreNew attorneys receive guidance from mentors: ISBA program on pause, but state bar still plans to offer mentoring to members
Fresh out of law school and looking to pivot from the classroom into the role of a practicing lawyer, hundreds of young attorneys have gone through the Indiana State Bar Association’s Mentor Match program since it launched in November 2010.
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251 admitted to Indiana bar in fall ceremony
The following new lawyers were admitted to practice law in Indiana during an Oct. 11 ceremony in Indianapolis.
Read MoreMedley: How to become a go-to associate
Instead of just focusing on your legal talents, there are behaviors that you can cultivate to become a go-to associate.
Read MoreFrank: I wish I knew what I know now when I was younger
Life as a lawyer is often a trial by fire, and much of what you need to know in the real world isn’t taught in law school.
Read MoreOpinionBack to Top
Letter: Rokita consistently, courageously defends Hoosier conservative values
Most recently, controversy — and flack — has again come to Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita over his successful disciplinary complaint against Dr. Caitlin Bernard.
Read MoreLetter: The curious case of AG Rokita’s disciplinary action
In today’s political environment, could a highly contentious disciplinary proceeding and imposition of sanctions actually enhance Attorney General Todd Rokita’s political ambitions?
Read MoreJLAP: We don’t have to do this alone: When you’re not good at it all
Surprisingly to many of us who pride ourselves on being independent and having an intellect above the average bear, most of us are not good at everything we attempt.
Read MoreDillman: How to pay for long-term care through advance planning
By planning now for how to pay for care later, people have more options and control over how and where they age. It’s just a matter of getting started.
Read MoreVan Winkle: ‘Indiana Pound Conference’: Reimagining mediation
The fact that the other four ADR methods have seldom — if ever — been used has led some stakeholders and commentators to suggest that the rules should be amended to eliminate the four other methods, leaving only mediation governed by the rules.
Read MoreHammerle on… “26.2 to Life” and revisiting “Golda”
Indianapolis criminal defense attorney Robert Hammerle gives us his take on “26.2 to Life” and revisits “Golda.”
Read MoreBar AssociationsBack to Top
DTCI: When attorney and soccer mom collide
In my defense, I never set out to become a soccer mom.
Read MoreIndyBar: President’s Awards Announced
Several honorees will be celebrated at the Nov. 15 Recognition Breakfast at Meridian Hills Country Club.
Read MoreIndyBar: President’s Message
I am an extrovert and most of my life is an open book, but there is one topic in my life I was raised to be cautious to speak about, and that is my faith. I am Jewish.
Read MoreIndyBar: Practice Toolkit: Bring It In: Law Firms Continue to Key In On Intake Personnel
Now, while the intake process for a law firm can be totally digital, many attorneys still prefer to utilize staff to manage at least parts of the intake process.
Read MoreIndyBar’s 50 Year Honorees
Each year, the Indianapolis Bar Association’s Annual Recognition Breakfast is capped off by the celebration of those members of the association celebrating their 50th anniversary in the practice of law in 2023.
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