Legal misfire: Is it a crime for minors to possess guns?
A 1990s Indiana law that raised penalties for juveniles who possess guns has backfired, limiting the charging options for law enforcement when children have firearms.
Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
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COA commitment for woman with anorexia seen as rare
In a move not typically seen, the Indiana Court of Appeals extended a Hoosier woman’s temporary involuntary commitment solely based on an eating disorder that doctors said was causing her severe malnutrition.
IU McKinney’s McCabe tapped as second-in-command at EPA
President-elect Joe Biden on Friday tapped Janet McCabe, an environmental law and policy expert and Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law professor, to return to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as deputy administrator.
Indiana deans sign letter calling attack on Capitol a betrayal
The deans of two Indiana Law Schools have joined more than 150 of their colleagues from around the country in denouncing last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol as a betrayal of the Constitution’s core values.
Lawyer in charge: IU McKinney grad Tim Cook is first non-CPA to lead Katz Sapper & Miller
Indianapolis native Tim Cook made history at the start of 2021, riding his law degree into the C-suite and becoming the new CEO and president of Katz, Sapper & Miller, Indianapolis’ largest certified public accounting firm. He stepped into the leadership position Jan. 1 and is the first non-CPA to lead the 78-year-old national firm.
Disciplinary Commission director Witte to retire
Longtime attorney discipline executive director G. Michael Witte will retire from his post, the Indiana Supreme Court has announced. Witte, a former trial court judge who has overseen the disciplinary commission for a decade, will step down next month.
Acting to ensure integrity: New prosecutor’s unit to investigate wrongful conviction claims
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced this month that his office will establish the Conviction Integrity Unit in early 2021 to prevent, identify and correct wrongful convictions. The new unit will consist of one attorney, an investigator and a paralegal and be the first of its kind in Indiana, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
McCabe: Biden will reverse Trump environmental policies
The Trump administration has used many tools to weaken environmental protection. For example, Trump issued an executive order in June 2020 to waive environmental review for infrastructure projects such as pipelines and highways. I expect the Biden administration will quickly signal to the nation that effectively applying the nation’s environmental laws matters to everyone – especially to communities that bear an unfair share of the public health burden of pollution.
Service providers offering help to returning individuals stress need for work
The positives of having a job are unchanged, but the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced some new obstacles to re-entering individuals whose criminal records already created a barrier to gainful employment.
IU McKinney opening certified IP law clinic
A long-held dream, a handful of alumni and a student whose summer externship was scuttled all came together to create and launch the first intellectual property law clinic at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
New and soon-to-be lawyers chart a different course in uncertain times
The uncertainty of the times is heightening the worry and stress among law students and new lawyers, but career counselors say the people just entering the legal profession are doing more to confront the issues of the day. They are discussing ways to solve injustices and inequities, pursuing jobs in the public sector and carefully evaluating law firms to determine if they share the same values.
337 new lawyers admitted to practice in Indiana
The following new lawyers were admitted to practice last month. Many of those listed below participated in virtual admission ceremonies Sept. 21. Here are Indiana’s newest lawyers.
Bravo, Parrish co-chair review of Jordan namings
When Indiana University decided to assemble a committee to reevaluate the naming of buildings and landmarks on the Bloomington campus after the school’s seventh president, David Starr Jordan, who afterward championed eugenics, the institution started by calling the law schools.
Indiana race opens up after attorney general’s troubles
Indiana Democrats are targeting the state attorney general’s race as their best chance to break the stranglehold Republicans have over state government.
Attorney, alumnus Tuchman makes $4M gift to further diversity at IU McKinney
Indianapolis attorney Steve Tuchman and his husband, Reed Bobrick, have made a $4 million gift to Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law to support the creation of an endowed scholarship and an endowed professorship to further the institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Through friendships, visits, Ginsburg became part of Indiana legal history
The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made many visits to Indiana during her tenure on the Supreme Court. She had friendships with the law professors and deans at the law schools in the Hoosier State, and she influenced law students, lawyers and judges across the state. “Imagine a young law student faced with the challenge by a Supreme Court Justice,” recalled a former IU Maruer law student who is now a federal judge.
Dozens file court support for gay teacher in fight with Archdiocese of Indianapolis
The fight over a teacher at Cathedral High School who was fired for being in a same-sex marriage is highlighting a split between conservative and progressive members of the Catholic faith with several members of the Indiana legal community — including a former 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge and an Indiana attorney prominent in Republican politics — now adding their voices in opposition to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
ISBA section calls for nonviolent sentencing reforms
More than six years after sweeping criminal code reforms were enacted in Indiana, a section of the Indiana State Bar Association is calling for additional sentencing reforms to establish parity with those who received longer sentences before the reforms were enacted.
Birch Bayh’s bid to end Electoral College recalled at IU McKinney lecture
At the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law 2020 Birch Bayh Lecture, journalist and author Jesse Wegman recounted the late Sen. Birch Bayh’s nearly successful attempt at abolishing the Electoral College and letting Americans elect the president directly.
Unprecedented August 2020 bar exam yields passage rates from the past
The overall passage rate for the Indiana August 2020 bar exam reached 74%, about 10 percentage points higher than the overall pass rate for the previous four July bar exams. Likewise, 84% of those taking the test for the first time passed while 53% of the repeat takers were successful, the highest rate for repeaters since 54% passed the February 2015 bar.