In this issue of Indiana Lawyer, we take a closer look the results of our September 2015 survey of the legal community. Indiana University Maurer School of Law professor William Henderson, who analyzed the results, found the survey reveals signs of fundamental change in the legal profession. The survey shows attorneys are encouraged to promote themselves through social media. Lawyers like their careers, but wouldn't recommend someone else go into the profession, according to the survey.

Seeing an opportunity in helping businesses and lawyers with discovery in an electronic world, Hamish Cohen and three of his attorney colleagues – Ray Biederman, Sean Burke and Jon Mattingly – launched Proteus Discovery Group. The Indiana Supreme Court is weighing whether the state RICO-inspired statute should apply to street crimes.

Figuring out how to balance the demands of practicing law with the needs of a family is a struggle that female attorneys have long faced, but increasingly male attorneys also want to be able to take time for their families. A recent ethics opinion from the Indiana State Bar Association on flat fees has some attorneys debating as to whether its advice is practical. There's been a small uptick in the number of J.D. advantage jobs, which reflects changes in the economy and legal profession.

For more than 10 years, Judge Frances Gull has spearheaded efforts in Allen County to make the jury process easier and more convenient. She made jury duty less burdensome by incorporating technological advances that help potential jurors feel more comfortable and is being recognized nationally for her efforts. Attorneys caution against estate plans that place behavioral conditions on heirs. As part of our 25th anniversary coverage, we posed five questions to five attorneys admitted to practice in Indiana in 1990.

Lawyers who’ve taken a stab at fencing say there’s no other sport quite like it. When reason leaves the room, an analytical approach can lead a path to dispute resolution. A first impression ruling that a bicyclist's death in a car crash is not covered under insurance policy is "harsh and unfair," according to one appellate judge.

Now that Indianapolis' pay-to-play system that divvied judgeships between Democrats and Republicans has been ruled unconstitutional, it's up to the General Assembly to figure out how Marion County should select it's judges. Proposals to increase the state-imposed $1.25 million cap on damages in medical malpractice cases have some unlikely supporters: Indiana hospitals. Recently, Barnes & Thornburg and the Indiana Bar Foundation honored Shirley Shideler during a special reception at the firm's Indianapolis office to pay homage to her legacy and to recognize other women blazing trails in the legal field.

Sharing candid, deeply personal experiences, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor inspired an overflow crowd Sept. 2 at the University of Notre Dame. She held court for nearly two hours, answering questions from Notre Dame almna, trustee and NBC News reporter Anne Thompson. As Indiana Tech Law School begins its third year, it is welcoming a very small class of first-year students and, anticipating its second attempt at gaining ABA approval will be successful, positioning its third-year students to take the bar exam. California attorney Kimberly Papillon will be presenting her program, The Neuroscience of Legal and Judicial Decision Making, at the Indiana State Bar Association's annual meeting.

James Dimos' new leadership gig with the American Bar Association eventually will take him away from his adopted Indianapolis home of more than 30 years, but in a way, he'll be returning home. A legislative interim study committee is considering a proposal that would allow DNA to be collected from those arrested, but not yet convicted, of a felony, but concerns about constitutionality exist.  Indiana lawyers and state and federal court judges will soon mark eight centuries since Britain's King John placed his seal on the Magna Carta, which guarentees, among other things, right to a trial by jury.

Although he's set to retire later this month, Friedlander will continue to serve as a senior judge, and Marion Superior Court Judge Robert Altice will be taking his place. The handful of Hoosier law firms that combined during the last two years highlight a pair of emerging trends of interest to those who watch law firm merger and acquisition activity. In June, 53-year-old David McAvoy not only marked his 25th year working at Eli Lilly, he also participated in a 155-mile race through the largest desert region in Asia: the Gobi Desert.

In a rural county ravaged by prescription pain pill addiction, the local sheriff has a vision for rehabilitation. A little-noticed bill signed into law May 5 provides new protections in the workplace for victims trying to untangle themselves from domestic violence situations. Judge John Tinder is retiring, but he expects to seek opportunities to assist parties with litigation consulting, compliance and arbitration.