Indiana Justice Loretta Rush will be the state’s first female chief justice. Her selection was praised by the governor, attorney general and many others, including friends and former colleagues in her hometown of Lafayette, who say her personality and professionalism make her a natural choice for the position. With the increase in popularity of smartphones and tablets,  more people are choosing to use their own devices at work. But attorneys caution that companies need to craft "bring your own device" policies. Lewis Wagner LLP partner Dina Cox explains some of the common mistakes young lawyers make and how they can be avoided.

An Indiana Court of Appeals judge recently wrote that her colleagues who formed the majority to rule against a local tourism board were “out of touch,” and she suggested a case over an Internet domain name presented a novel issue that no court in the country has addressed. The American Bar Association has released a tool to help lawyers assess  if their colleague has a cognitive impairment. Some companies are using metrics to evaluate lawyer performance.

The increased amount in registration fees attorneys will pay starting Aug. 1 will cover shortfalls in the Disciplinary Commission, the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and the Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program. A portion of the increased fees will also provide revenue for the state’s pro bono districts. A report issued by a task force commissioned at the request of the Indiana Supreme Court recommends reported attorney pro bono hours only be public in an aggregate manner. A recent 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decision may expedite the demise of Marion County township courts.

Same-sex couples rushed to obtain marriage licenses and get married after a federal judge overturns Indiana’s ban on same-sex marriage, but a stay was issued just two days after the ruling. Some attorneys are concerned people with legal masters degrees may begin taking work from lawyers. Most of Indiana's new laws took effect July 2. A complete list of the new laws and effective dates is available here.

Robert Wade took it as a challenge when a colleague told him a few years back he'd never be able to launch a national health care practice from the South Bend market. The Krieg DeVault LLP lawyer is now known across the country for his work in the areas of Stark Law and health care compliance. For law school students, employability begins long before graduation day.  Lawyers say changes in estate distribution plans should prompt inquiries of whether undue influence has occurred.

Milwaukee-based Quarles & Brady is the latest large law firm to expand its footprint to central Indiana. It’s a testament to what these firms have seen in the Indianapolis legal market – promise enough to set up shop not through merger or acquisition, but by expanding with the launch of a branded office. And then expanding some more. Hoosiers are playing an integral role in the military commissions happening at Guantanamo Bay involving the alleged mastermind behind the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole. The sudden resignation of Indiana Tech Law School Dean Peter Alexander shocked the school's backers, but school officials say the direction of the school won't change.

Attorneys say Indiana’s advertising rules are unclear, unevenly enforced and offer little practical guidance to avoiding running afoul of the rules. One lawyer even described it as “enforcement by ambush.” PERF benefits will decline amid a fund shortfall. Dogs in the office bring a touch of home to a lawyer's workplace.

A recent Indiana attorney disciplinary order quickly has prompted some analysts to predict the ruling would have a chilling effect on lawyers here and around the country. But the case also involved pursuit of discipline that a court-appointed hearing officer called “disconcerting.” Some say the federal vacancies on the bench could last for years thanks to politics. Indiana Tech Law School has begun the accreditation process with the American Bar Association.

A Notre Dame Law School professor says courts should ask more questions when a bank files a motion to set aside a foreclosure judgment. The bank’s decision to “un-foreclose” on a property can negatively impacts the homeowners, communities and the courts. Attorneys say using audio/video transcripts under a court pilot project is time-consuming and costly for clients. Some say a federal judge's recent ruling may hint at the future of Indiana's marriage law that bans same-sex marraige.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Attorney Richard Bell says his picture of the Indianapolis skyline is worth $1,500 or so if you’ve posted it on your website without first paying him to license it. Taking senior status likely won't slow down Judge Sarah Evans Barker. Law firms are fighting an "onerous" proposed tax change.