The bar exam Indiana administered at the end of February is headed for the pile of historic has-beens as the state prepares to switch to another version and the National Conference of Bar Examiners starts the process to overhaul the entire test.
As a small-firm practitioner who makes her money by providing personal legal services, networking is vital for the continued source of clients I need to support my business and keep my associates busy. Planning committees, nonprofit boards, volunteering, social gatherings and local events were my go-to formula for expanding my circles and getting my name and face in front of people who needed to hire a lawyer for highly personal and sometimes sensitive reasons. They needed to have met me in person. They needed my name to come from someone they knew and trusted. At least, that is what I believed to be the only way, until that way no longer existed. And I am not just saying its disappearance is because of the pandemic.
Meet attorney Ryan Shouse in this ongoing series introducing new DTCI attorneys to the wider legal community.
Law firms are the very definition of traditional businesses, but in a modern world, traditional business models get expensive. Law firms should be operating offices to house staff, but they tend to fill those offices up with obsolete items like paper files and document/email servers.
When faced with a case involving unincorporated business entities, a defendant must carefully consider whether the requirements for diversity jurisdiction are satisfied before filing its notice of removal. Failure to do so could result an adverse award of attorney fees on a motion for remand, or the district court sua sponte remanding the case to state court upon discovery that it lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the action.
How is it possible that in our enlightened age there remains such a disconnect between being cool and being a leader? Perhaps the answer lies in a truism: Leadership is not cool. Case in point: prom kings are cool. Chairing the prom planning committee is not.
“What if you could get exactly what you want in life by reading and understanding the body language of murderers?” asks Janine Driver, New York Times best-selling author and award-winning keynote speaker. With more than 16 years of experience as a federal law enforcement officer within the Department of Justice, Driver will be presenting the opening plenary session for the 2021 Bench Bar Conference in Louisville from June 17-19.
For the second time this year, the Indiana State Bar Association is publicly opposing legislation targeting judicial selection in Indiana, this time speaking against a bill that it says would “unnecessarily change a working system” for judicial selection in Lake and St. Joseph counties.
Shared experiences bring people together. That’s particularly true of the members of the Rudy Lozano Bar Association, a northwest Indiana group dedicated to serving Latino legal professionals. Formerly known as the Northwest Indiana Hispanic Bar Association, the group filed articles of incorporation under its new name in February 2020. Its namesake is the late federal Judge Rodolfo “Rudy” Lozano, who died in July 2018.
Applications are now being accepted from deserving law students for Indianapolis Bar Foundation 2021 scholarships.
Donations of coats and warm clothes were dropped off to the Marion County Jail on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Your donations came at a good time, as the jail was running low on these supplies. We appreciate the generosity of our members every day, but especially during these tough times!
If you haven’t heard of Brene Brown, you should look up her documentary “Brene Brown: The Call to Courage” for some laughs and solid advice about how to grow into a better version of ourselves by embracing vulnerability.
The Indianapolis Bar Association is proud to make “Widening Your View: Understanding Implicit Bias, Microaggressions and Your Professional Responsibility” available at no charge for IndyBar members.
I am extremely proud to inform you that your Indianapolis Bar Association leadership is diligently engaged in the task of carefully evaluating proposed bills and making the thoughtful determination regarding whether to take action to support, oppose or suggest amendments. It has been absolutely inspiring to watch our IndyBar section leadership wholeheartedly embrace this daunting task on behalf of our members and our clients.
Efforts to amend a bill that would fundamentally change the composition of the judicial nominating commissions in Lake and St. Joseph counties failed in the Indiana House on Tuesday, setting up the controversial legislation for a possible final House vote next week.
To capitalize on the talks that started during 2020, attorney Angka Hinshaw is joining Indiana Justice Steven David to lead a yearlong discussion about racial issues and cultural differences. The goal of the program, Open Conversations, is to foster honest, perhaps uncomfortable, dialogue where the participants can gain new insight and understanding.
Indianapolis attorney Ron Katz Katz’s creation honoring the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the first installation in what the Indianapolis Bar Association hopes becomes a member-driven art exhibit at the new downtown IndyBar headquarters.
While the IndyBar and Indianapolis Bar Foundation’s successes are due in large part to the generosity and dedication of our community, the leadership, boards, and staff pirouetted through the minefields of 2020 like a barefoot parent dodging Legos on a hardwood floor.
Looking to find your next great law clerk or show your support for diversity in our community? Employer and sponsor registration is now open for the 2021 Diversity Job Fair!
The Criminal Justice Section is kicking off the year by helping those in need! Please consider donating to our clothing drive: any coats, gloves, sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks (or any clothing!) can be dropped off in our donation box inside the front vestibule at IndyBarHQ (140 N. Illinois St.) by Feb. 4.