The Indiana Bar Foundation Civic Education Task Force released a series of recommendations Wednesday for improving Hoosier students’ understanding of American democracy. The proposals include revising academic standards, providing more professional development for teachers and strengthening ties to the community.
Timothy Abeska, a retired South Bend attorney, is providing needed financial support to the Indiana Bar Foundation and, through a just-announced matching initiative, is incentivizing others to do the same.
In a career that has spanned 50 years, Douglas Church not only developed his own private practice but also played an integral role in the blossoming of Hamilton County. He served as attorney for the town of Fishers from 1980 through 2015 and for the city of Noblesville from 1988 through 1996, helping those communities formulate and implement strategies for growth.
Indiana Supreme Court Justice Steven David has been reappointed as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Indiana Bar Foundation.
Extra hours away from the outside world because of stay-at-home orders offered Indiana’s judges and attorneys at least one positive thing during the coronavirus-pandemic – time. Whether spending time with family or using quiet moments of solitude to revive rusty creative skills, many legal professionals are finding the joy and peace of everyday tasks in the midst of uncertain times.
About a month after Evansville got the heartbreaking news the National High School Mock Trial Championship would not be coming in May 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the city and legal profession were told not to roll up the welcome mat just yet.
Getting more Hoosiers to vote is no easy task, but two initiatives announced last November have taken a couple of fundamental steps toward increasing election turnout in Indiana.
The 2020 National Mock Trial Championship scheduled to take place in Evansville this May has been canceled due to coronavirus crisis, leaving event organizers heartbroken and disappointed.
Reflecting his engineering roots, J. Mark Robinson offers a straightforward solution for the civil legal puzzle: real lawyers in real courtrooms representing real people on real legal issues. The Indiana legal profession recognized Robinson and his commitment by honoring him with the Randall T. Shepard Award for Excellence in Pro Bono. Robinson and other select members of the legal profession and educators were honored for their work in either civil legal aid or civic education at the Indiana Bar Foundation’s 2019 Awards Dinner.
The Indianapolis Bar Foundation expresses sincere gratitude to the 2019 Distinguished Fellows and Distinguished Life Fellows for their long and continuing support of our profession and community.
Déjà vu retained its grip on the winner’s circle after three days of competition at the 2019 Indiana We the People State Finals, which brought nearly 600 middle and high school students to Indianapolis Dec. 8-10.
The Indiana legal profession recognized select members of the legal profession and educators, honoring them for their work in either civil legal aid or civic education at the Indiana Bar Foundation’s 2019 Awards Dinner.
Data from the US Census Current Population Survey shows Indiana residents are among the most active in their communities and most engaged politically in the country. However, going to the voting booth and casting a ballot are different matters.
The Indiana Supreme Court is working to help troubled homebuyers, and possibly prevent another flood of empty houses, by relaunching the Mortgage Foreclosure Trial Court Assistance Project. A $115,000 grant from the Indiana Bar Foundation will provide funding to pay for facilitators to work with borrowers and lenders to try to get them to reach an agreement that will avert a foreclosure.
With the release of the fourth measurement of Indiana’s civic engagement, the authors are providing an outline of strategies for expanding civic education programs and improving voting rates. The recommendations in the 2019 Indiana Civic Health Index come as the Hoosier State continues to rank in the bottom 10 of all states on voting and in the bottom third on voter registration.
Despite a rain-soaked afternoon, just over 30 chess enthusiasts gathered at the City Market in downtown Indianapolis Oct. 26 to test their skills at the centuries-old game and help support the young, by comparison, American democracy. The We the People White Knight Chess Tournament, sponsored by Cohen & Malad LLP and Barnes and Thornburg LLP, raised money for the Indiana We the People program.
“I’ve had a great career,” said longtime Whitley County attorney and prosecutor John Whiteleather, “and I hope I have contributed back to the community for what it provided to me.” Whiteleather’s colleagues on the bench and bar assure him that he did, recognizing him as the Indiana Bar Foundation’s 2019 Legendary Lawyer.
The conversation about civil legal aid in Indiana is still focused on money, but for the first time in nearly a decade, the talk is of dollars increasing rather than dwindling.
After six years of struggling to secure a win, one northern Indiana high school mock trial team is ready to stand up against the big dogs.
Having been involved in civic education in Indiana for almost 20 years, I welcome the recent increased attention on the need to have more civic education in our schools. Civic education holds us together as a state and country by giving us the tools we need to be informed and engaged citizens.