It is rare that members of northern Indiana’s Amish communities have a need for legal representation. When they do, they turn to a neighbor they know and trust. Read more about lawyers who've carved a niche for representing Amish clients in IL's North/Central Indiana Spotlight story. Indiana courts are grappling with how to comply with a statutory requirement to use psychiatrists for insanity evaluations when there seems to be a shortage of qualified and willing professionals in some areas. The Legislature's Commission on Courts is studying the issue. And don't miss continuing coverage of the debate surrounding legal education in America. Former Chief Justice Randall Shepard recently gave his perspective during a talk at Notre Dame Law School. 

Daniel Brewington is either a poster child for the wrongful prosecution of free speech or a man whose online rants about a judge constituted criminal threats. It all depends on your point of view.    After a Lake Superior Court declared parts of Indiana's right-to-work law unconstitutional, those on either side of the debate are anticipating taking their case to the appellate court.  And 50 years after the enactment of the Equal Pay Act, does gender equality remain the "elephant in the conference room" at some law firms?

Twelve thousand feet above rolling Indiana farmland, attorney Amy Romig prepares to jump from an airplane. Most of the plane’s passengers are jittery first-time skydivers, but Romig’s nerves are fine. That’s because she’s done this 1,300 times. Attorneys discuss how soaring through the sky helps keep their feet firmly planted while managing life and the law. IU McKinney School of Law Professor Mohamed Arafa recently returned from teaching in Egypt, and he talks to Indiana Lawyer about changes in his homeland. Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson issues a call to action, indicating much remains to be done in the quest for diversity in the profession.

The Indiana Tech Law School opened Aug. 26 in Fort Wayne with an inaugural class of 30 students. Within the Allen County legal community, the new law school has drawn mixed reaction. Past professional associations with the once-prominent personal-injury and wrongful-death attorney William Conour have resulted in several lawyers being named in civil suits. And choosing a life on the farm when you're a city lawyer may seem odd to some, but the decision has shaped lawyer's Sherry Fabina-Abney's family and life in positive ways.

Indianapolis attorney Philip “Skip” Kappes began practicing law in 1948. Today, he holds Indiana's second-longest active law license and cites adaptability as a key to professional success and sustainability. Kappes talked with Indiana Lawyer about his experiences along the way. The case involving Bei Bei Shuai's attempted suicide, which resulted in the death of her newborn daughter, has been resolved, but legal issues surrounding the actions of pregnant women remain. A law student who golfed his way "from tee to shing tee" to fundraise for an Indianapolis school shares his experiences and photos with IL readers.

While some legal scholars lament the deterioration of Gideon v. Wainwright 50 years after the landmark Supreme Court of the United States decision, Marion Superior Judge David Dreyer is calling for an expansion of the principle to include civil litigants. For the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, policy changes concerning funding received from the United Way mean ILAS will have to raise more funds on its own. And lawyers who have launched new practices talk about the practical considerations they addressed along the way.

A recent recommendation made to the Indiana Supreme Court wants to require attorneys to report their pro bono hours yearly. Same-sex divorce in Indiana poses a legal puzzle for lawyers and judges. Indiana's new expungement law offers a clean slate, but its complexity raises questions.

Fireworks attorneys help their clients navigate regulations and laws. Their knowledge of the industry also allows them to provide hands-on help by firing off displays for towns and events. Victims of Merrillville "nose doctor" Dr. Mark Weinberger will split a $55 million settlement after years of litigation. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana is celebrating 60 years of defending constitutional rights.

Lawmakers are encouraged by a Supreme Court of the United States decision upholding the practice of collecting DNA samples from people arrested on suspicion of committing felonies. Before Indianapolis firm Stewart & Irwin P.C. closed, lawyers discussed mergers. Proposed changes to the Indiana Bar Exam are sparking debate among bar associations.

A class-action lawsuit claims that Indiana's high-risk insurance pool is hoarding cash. Indiana attorneys enjoy being storytellers of history. Mark Ladendorf takes the helm as president of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association.