James Sweeney's confirmation as the first judge in eight years to the Indiana Southern District Court came in a rare display of Senate bipartisanship, elevating an attorney known for his collegial spirit and can-do attitude. As a lawsuit seeking to privatize the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan proceeds toward the U.S. Supreme Court, an answered question is, who's doing the suing? A smartphone privacy decision could be a landmark ruling on how technology impacts rights.
As law schools begin a new academic year, first-year students get formal introductions to the legal profession's obligations and responsibilities. Embattled Attorney General Curtis Hill is facing a backlash over his office's intervention in two voting lawsuits. The pursuit of an exoneration for a man who advocates say was wrongly convicted of murder is the latest in an extraordinary number of such cases out of Elkhart County.
Two loyal aides to legal aid in Indiana have dedicated more than a century of service to helping those less fortunate. A legal defense fund established to pay Attorney General Curtis Hill's attorney fees arising from sexual misconduct accusations is raising questions among nonprofit experts. The American Bar Assocation approved changes to lawyer advertising rules at its annual meeting this week in Chicago.
Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed Lake Superior Judge Elizabeth Tavitas to the Indiana Court of Appeals, where she will succeeding now-Senior Judge Michael Barnes. A commission studying alcohol issues in Indiana will focus on permits and the state's quota system. For more than three decades, Indianapolis attorney Charles Braun has gone on air live to answer callers' legal questions a local radio show.
As the inquiry into groping allegations against Attorney General Curtis Hill expands, questions persist about the investigation itself and the possible ethical duties of those who looked into the allegations. An Indianapolis attorney traveled to the southern border to assist immigrant families separated under a since-voided zero tolerance policy. Evaluating a prospective lawyer's character and fitness is as important as the bar exam itself, examiners say.
Governor Eric Holcomb's recent announcement of an extra $25 million for the Department of Child Services is small change compared to prior enhancements of the agency's budget. After the Noblesville school shooting, the possibility of expanding juvenile waiver into adult court is a hot topic. Scores of new laws passed by the General Assembly this year are set to take effect July 1, and we've got your complete list.
Private attorneys in death penalty cases are create dilemmas and taking public defenders and judges into uncharted territory. Are you working hard or hardly working? A survey says half of law firm partners are not sufficiently busy. An IU McKinney professor is launching Smart Arb — an arbitration center for international businesses inspired by the developing World Trade Center-Indianapolis.
After careers as a prosecutor and a judge, Court of Appeals Judge Michael Barnes plans to step down, as three finalists are in the running to succeed him. The Indiana Department of Correction is fighting in court and in the Statehouse to keep information about lethal injection drugs secret. Facing an uncertain future, Valparaiso University Law School recently graduated its smallest class in years.
The Indiana Court of Appeals is grappling with the question of how technology impacts constitutional rights. As CHINS and TPR filings continue to rise, public defenders struggle to comply with caseload requirements. A recent American Bar Association ethics opinion highlights attorneys' confusion over their duty of confidentiality in online forums.
Seeing few alternatives in fighting the ongoing opioid epidemic, dozens of Indiana towns, cities and counties have sued drugmakers and distributors. Larry Landis, the longtime advocate for public defenders in Indiana, plans to retire in July. Changes inside and outside of the Indiana Tax Court have led to a marked decrease in case filings.