As Indiana law schools prepare to welcome back students amid the COVID-19 pandemic, administrators are planning for a semester that will be unlike any other. Indiana willl have a new attorney general come January as Republican Todd Rokita and Democrat Jonathan Weinzapfel are gearing up for the November general election. The pandemic threw ice water on the red-hot law firm merger market, but Indiana, a state often absent from the list of merger activity, recorded two separate combinations just as the COVID-19 crisis was taking hold. 

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.

A new regional center in Indianapolis is bringing economic excitement as an immigration law firm plans to boost businesses, communities with foreign investors. The final chapter of Valparaiso Law School has brought bittersweet memories for alumni. And as a slate of new laws are set to take effect July 1, two lawyers whose clients lost in court saw new laws that adopted the positions they fought for.

Peaceful protests over police use of force and racial bias in Indianapolis and around the state turned violent  as police in the state capital launched tear gas and protesters vandalized and destroyed businesses. After protests turned to rage, attorneys familiar with inequities in the justice system said they understood the reason for anger in the streets. And inmates who have sought release from prison or jail due to COVID-19 have seen mixed results.

Suspended Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is fighting to stay in power, facing political rivals as well as a lawsuit that seeks to disqualify him from office. Juvenile probation officers in Marion and Monroe counties delivered for their young clients and their families, providing a gift in tough times. And as law school graduates faced unprecedented challenges from the coronavirus pandemic leading up the July bar exam, quick action by the Indiana Supreme Court delivered some certainty in uncertain times.

The 30-day suspension of Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is raising questions about whether he remains eligible to serve in office. The law school class of 2020 made history in more than one way with the first virtual admission ceremony. And a change in the federal courts for the Southern District of Indiana brings the promise of adventure in retirement a clerk who is hitting the road.

With courthouses across Indiana virtually empty, courts are turning to technology to keep dockets moving and planning for the future amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Law firms big and small have pivoted amid the pandemic, putting emphasis on keeping clients informed about coronavirus issues. And Indiana Lawyer is proud to introduce our 2020 Leadership in Law honorees.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, lawyers are doing their part to ensure health care professionals and others at a higher risk of infection have the tools they need to stay healthy. Meanwhile, law students are adjusting to the realities of virtual classrooms and the loss of pomp and circumstance for this year's graduating class. And in non-coronavirus news, an Elkhart man who says he was wrongfully convicted of murder 15 years ago has been released. 

As Hoosiers and the nation embraced a new normal, established and new law firms are working through it, with some scrambling to practice remotely. The coronavirus pandemic has led law enforcement to turn to summonses for misdemeanor offenders, putting into practice a proposal that stalled at the Statehouse. And when the world returns to normal, two attorneys who turned their love of roller hockey into a league will return to the bonds of skates, friendship and beer.

At a special and emotional graduation ceremony for the federal court’s REACH re-entry program, Kenny Lewis’ accomplishments, inspiration and legacy were celebrated. The first woman lawyer at one of Indianapolis’ leading law firms has stepped aside after her career blazed a trail for female attorneys and firm leaders. And after controversy at the Statehouse this year, an effort is underway to review the juvenile justice system.