Indiana law schools decline in US News 2021 rankings
The annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of the best law schools in the country brought disappointing results for Indiana as all three law schools still being ranked fell in their positions.
Indiana University Maurer School of Law
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Coronavirus impacting Indiana courts, law firms, schools
The Indiana legal community is taking precautions and ramping up efforts to stay healthy as the coronavirus spreads. Meanwhile, Faegre Drinker announced Wednesday that it had reopened most of its offices Wednesday, including its Indianapolis location. The firm had closed all 22 of its global offices Tuesday after a person who attend a firm event in Washington, D.C., tested positive for COVID-19.
IU Maurer grad to lead ABA legal education group
William Adams, a 1978 graduate of Indiana University Maurer School of Law, has been selected as managing director of Accreditation and Legal Education at the American Bar Association, the group whose duties include training law school site evaluation teams, collecting law school data and providing guidance on compliance.
Businesses increasingly feeling heat to disclose climate risks
The national and international conversations about the impacts of climate change have focused largely on initiatives designed to curb greenhouse gas and other potentially harmful emissions. But there’s also an increasingly popular business aspect to the conversation.
Lawmakers honor retiring Judge Baker with jokes, well wishes
A staple of the Indiana judiciary for more than 40 years, Indiana Court of Appeals Judge John G. Baker was honored by members of the Legislature ahead of his impending retirement.
Indiana law schools post changing fortunes in first-time bar passage rates
Newly released data from the American Bar Association shows the bar passage rate for first-time takers is improving at IU Maurer and Notre Dame but slipping at IU McKinney.
Law Student Outlook: Women still face challenges in the legal profession
While reflecting on our time writing this column, it became clear that we have not addressed an important aspect of our lives and future legal careers: We are women in the law. Obviously, the legal field has historically been dominated by men, and usually those who are well-off. In our time in law school we have seen a growing movement of greater diversity in the field, paving the way for different groups of people to make their mark in the profession and on the legal landscape.
Law schools, firms watch coronavirus outbreak
Law firms with offices and law schools with programs in China have been proactive in response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak. For example, Dentons has temporarily closed its office in Wuhan and Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP told Indiana Lawyer it has closed some offices in China. Law schools in the state have suspended all staff and faculty travel to China.
Indiana law schools not seeing much of a ‘Trump bump’
While the political climate is being credited with boosting applications to law schools nationally, Indiana’s legal institutions might be immune to the hubbub since they have posted fluctuations but no discernable upward trend in the number of individuals applying for enrollment.
IU Maurer cybersecurity programs keep pace with technology
In his practice at Mallor Grodner in Bloomington, attorney D. Michael Allen is seeing more and more cases that have a digital component. While he learned on the job, he also enrolled in the IU Maurer School of Law cybersecurity master’s program.
Allen Superior Court names Trevino next chief judge
The Allen Superior Court’s Board of Judges has elected Judge Andrea R. Trevino to serve as the court’s next chief judge. Trevino’s two-year term begins Jan. 1, 2020.
Indiana law schools buck first-year enrollment dip
First-year enrollment in J.D. programs in Indiana law schools rose 3.2% in 2019 over 2018 while the overall J.D. enrollment across the U.S. slipped 0.27%, according data released by the American Bar Association.
‘Generic’ trademark battle set for SCOTUS
Booking.com is facing a not-so-easy legal battle in a lengthy effort to make its name a protectable trademark.
Patent U.: Universities’ investment in patentable research reaps more revenue, litigation
As universities investment more resources in the development of patentable technology, they also run an increased risk of litigation.
Indiana legal scholars sign letter endorsing impeachment
Six faculty members from Indiana universities — including four law school professors — are among the more than 775 academics who have submitted a letter to Congress, adding their voices in support of the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.
Parrish: Students find clerkships in smaller counties rewarding
This summer’s Rural Justice Initiativesought to expose students who are committed to public service to different facets of rural and smaller-city practice while helping trial court judges with their heavy workloads in counties where that help is needed most. The goal was to underscore to students the benefits of clerking after graduation, to help improve access to courts and expand legal services, and to inspire some students to consider pursuing careers in rural Indiana.
Good growth? Lawyer population grows, but supply may outpace demand
According to the ABA’s National Lawyer Population Survey, the number of active lawyers nationwide grew by 14.5% in the last decade, up from 1,180,386 in 2009 to 1,352,027 in 2019. The number of Indiana lawyers likewise grew 10.2%, increasing from 14,379 to 15,845.
New lawyers get by with a little help from family, friends
The support of family and friends for students in law school is not only common for most law students, but also necessary. Law professors and counselors say students need a supportive network to rely on inside and outside of law school to help them master the material, tamp down any discouragement or despair and ultimately become successful attorneys with good mental health.
Law Student Outlook: Thoughts on mediation, negotiation and other forms of ADR
Despite our continued interest in litigation, we are here to report that we certainly like what we have found in and are open to future possibilities in alternative dispute resolution. We have also come to recognize that just because our interests lean toward litigation does not mean that we will not encounter and utilize skills such as negotiating that maybe are not seen as being traditionally within a litigator’s area of expertise.
New lawyers reminded of their responsibilities and duties
Indiana’s newest attorneys were congratulated on their admission to the bar and welcomed to the practice of law Wednesday with soaring rhetoric and practical advice from their colleagues in the bar and on the bench.