2017's top legal news was dominated by the closure of one law school and the uncertain fate of another, along with big changes in federal and state courts. Looking into 2018, law firms will focus on core strengths and retaining talent, a leading consulting firm predicts. And at Indiana Legal Services, a new project is helping other nonprofits get the legal assist they need to succeed in serving indigent clients.

With six pardons in one day recently, Gov. Eric Holcomb doubled the unusually low number of reprieves granted in four years by former Gov. Mike Pence. After criticism from a national organization and multiple lawsuits challenging Indiana’s public defender system, Indiana lawmakers and legal stakeholders are looking for ways to improve it. Attorney Becca Polak is at the wheel of TradeRev, a business that enables car dealers to buy and sell vehicles digitally, and she's motivated to drive big plans.

With a 138-year history, Valparaiso Law School is not the only legal education institution getting crushed by declining enrollment and falling revenue, but it is likely the oldest to publicly announce its future is uncertain. A newspaper's efforts to uproot corruption by putting the spotlight on those who speak in favor of convicted Sheriff John Buncich at his sentencing has drawn the opposition of the Lake County Bar Association. Lawmakers who support legalizing medical marijuana are opposed by Gov. Eric Holcomb, Attorney General Curtis Hill and the state's prosecutors.
 

Three Indiana law firms are among the 200 fastest-growing in the nation, according to a recent ranking. A nearly $1 million CHINS pilot project aims to foster stability and a sense of security for Indianapolis children in need. Evansville is gearing up to host the 2020 Mock Trial National Championship.

The legal profession celebrates CLE at 30, while calling for change. An Indianapolis law firm's career coaching program is giving first-year associates instant feedback. The Indiana Department of Revenue has refined its processes so that processes of review are no longer so taxing.

Indiana Repertory Theatre hopes to get people talking with its production of "The Originalist," inspired by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. A new diversity effort at some law firms and legal organizations seeks leadership applicant pools containing at least 30 percent women and minorities. Indiana lawyers are involved in the pleadings in a Supreme Court suit over political gerrymandering in Wisconsin.
   

After the death of Senior Judge Larry McKinney, the Southern District of Indiana is hoping for relief from one of the nation's heaviest caseloads. Lawmakers are considering new restrictions on civil forfeiture. A Spencer lawyer's letter home from the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg is the focus of an Indiana Historical Society exhibit.

Lawyers and the judge in the Mike Tyson rape case recall a historic trial 25 years later. Indiana is taking the first step in addressing a backlog of untested rape kits: counting the shelved cases. Law firms are taking action to develop plans to deal with disasters.

In order to create a common culture, law firms are emphasizing collaboration to keep attorneys and attract clients and new talent. An Indianapolis lawyer has been charged for stealing more than $85,000 from two special-needs trusts. Investigators and attorneys believe that may just be the tip of the iceberg. Despite a boost from the Trump administration, coal faces rocky prospects.

As the Class of 2020 begins its legal studies and the Class of 2018 prepares for the bar exam and life as a lawyer, many will probably be thinking about their financial security, debt and loan obligations. More than 85 percent of law students borrow, running up a tab that can flow to astronomical amounts.

The Indiana State Bar Association's choice for executive director brings experience leading a national member-based nonprofit in a field that has been disrupted by technology and consolidation.  

At 50, the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act just isn't its old self. Age discrimination cases are becoming harder to prove.