Free legal aid program changing lives, but future uncertain
The most common problems people bring involve debts, collections and federal taxes.
The most common problems people bring involve debts, collections and federal taxes.
Indiana Legal Services and Heartland Pro Bono Council will be using a portion of a class-action settlement to help Indianapolis residents who have battled payday loan companies or suffered other consumer rights abuses.
On Oct. 10, Heartland Pro Bono Council will hold its annual Talk to a Lawyer Today training from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Barnes & Thornburg, 11 S. Meridian St., Indianapolis.
The Division of State Court Administration has released figures for 2011-2012, showing how the $1.5 million Civil Legal Aid Fund has been distributed among 11 qualifying agencies.
The aspirational pro bono goal for attorneys, set by the American Bar Association and endorsed – but not forced – by many states, is around 50 hours. Some Indiana attorneys work this into their annual budget by working with pro bono district plan administrators to accept cases when need exists and when they can easily fit them into their work schedules.
While many attorneys get a day off of work today because courts, government offices, banks, and many businesses are closed to honor the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., more than 200 lawyers have volunteered to spend two hours answering legal questions from the public as part of the Indiana State Bar Association’s 10th annual Talk to a Lawyer Today event.
The annual Talk to a Lawyer Today event will take place on Jan. 17 at locations around the state. While the free CLE opportunities took place in late 2010, volunteers who want to participate may do so if they didn’t attend the CLE.
While low interest rates can be a good thing for those looking to take out loans to buy a home, a car, or to refinance, they mean nothing but headaches and heartaches for organizations that depend on the dollars generated, such as legal aid organizations that rely on funds from Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts.
Ralph Adams, the former staff attorney and director of Legal Services of Maumee Valley, will receive this year’s Randall T. Shepard Award for excellence in pro bono service. He, along with other recipients of pro bono awards, will be honored at the Shepard Award Dinner in October.
The Indiana State Bar Association will offer its ninth annual free CLE session to prepare for the Talk to a Lawyer Today program from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at Barnes & Thornburg in downtown Indianapolis.
The District 8 Pro Bono Committee has a new chair – Marion Superior Judge David A Shaheed.
The statewide Talk to a Lawyer Today event that annually takes place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been hailed as the best yet by organizers. All 14 pro bono districts had at least one walk-in and/or call-in site for lawyers to answer questions from members of their communities for free.
While the official numbers are not yet available from Monday's statewide Talk to a Lawyer Today event that annually takes place on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all 14 pro bono districts participated.
The Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, Heartland Pro Bono Council, and the Indianapolis Bar Association have partnered to provide volunteer training for attorneys who would like to help those in the community with bankruptcy and mortgage foreclosure or immigration issues.