IBF establishes grant program with national settlement funds
The Indiana Bar Foundation has established a new grant program to help residents and their communities heal wounds from the Great Recession.
Pro bono
Articles
Bell/Whelan: 3 things to know about amended pro bono reporting rule
Rule 6.7, in effect for a mere four months, was recently amended by a Supreme Court order issued April 30, 2015, and effective immediately. The amendment provides additional clarity on what is expected of Indiana attorneys with respect to reporting pro bono service.
Mediation Assistance Program appoints counsel to help litigants settle cases
The program, started in 2009, matches attorney volunteers with pro se litigants as they enter settlement talks. In its inaugural year, MAP appointed legal counsel to two settlement conferences. By 2013, MAP attorneys assisted in 43 conferences.
Indiana Supreme Court approves amended pro bono reporting rule
The Indiana Supreme Court has amended the state’s new pro bono reporting rule, narrowing the focus to measuring only the direct representation given to indigent litigants.
Southern District applauds work of attorney volunteers
The 61 Indiana attorneys who provided pro bono hours in the Southern District of Indiana last year were recognized Thursday for their efforts during the second annual Pro Bono Appreciation Breakfast.
Homeless Project enables attorneys to offer advice and guidance to shelter residents
Residents in homeless shelters in Indianapolis are receiving legal advice and guidance through the Homeless Shelter Project. The program, now administered by the Indianapolis Bar Association, sends pairs of attorneys to a handful of shelters around the city every three weeks to meet with residents needing help.
Attorney reaction spurs tweaks of pro bono reporting rule
During a January lunchtime meeting of the Elkhart City Bar Association, attorneys served a plateful of questions about the state’s new mandatory pro bono reporting rule and ladled on some skepticism.
Once controversial, IOLTA is now professional standard in Indiana
Indiana Supreme Court posed an obstacle in 1990 to getting the program launched to fund pro bono efforts.
Annual ‘Talk to a Lawyer’ program will offer free legal assistance
Attorneys across Indiana will be volunteering their services to help low-income individuals as part of the Indiana State Bar Association’s 2015 statewide “Talk to a Lawyer Today” program.
Bell: 3 things to know about reporting pro bono hours
Ready or not, Rule 6.7 of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct will hit the books Jan. 1, 2015. This rule will require an attorney to report his or her pro bono hours at the time of annual registration.
Representation is imperative to due process for immigrants
The cases involving immigrant children coming to the U.S. from Central America are creating more need for pro bono legal representation and are highlighting an area of asylum law that the courts struggle to clearly define.
Part of payday loan settlement funding new legal aid consumer project
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.
Late Fort Wayne program director to be honored with pro bono award
The Indiana Bar Foundation and the Indiana Pro Bono Commission will recognize the dedication and tireless efforts of the late Terrance P. “Terry” McCaffrey at its 2014 annual pro bono awards ceremony.
Supreme Court approves requirement for attorneys to report pro bono hours
Starting Jan. 1, 2015, Indiana attorneys will be required to report the number of hours they provide free legal assistance to indigent clients.
Church legal clinic gives immigrants place to turn
The Bridge Community Church in Logansport recently opened Indiana's 13th nonprofit immigration clinic licensed through the U.S. Bureau of Immigration Appeals.
Indiana partnership aids domestic violence victims
An Indiana county attorney's office and a community advocacy group have partnered in an effort to help victims of domestic violence.
Lawyer registration fee increase to cover program shortfalls, aid pro bono districts
Attorney registration fees set to increase nearly 25 percent will cover shortfalls in the judiciary programs they fund and give a temporary emergency boost to the state’s pro bono districts.
Task force: Keep pro bono hours anonymous
A task force at the recommendation of the Indiana Supreme Court recently looked at five areas concerning pro bono work and the reporting of hours, including whether attorneys' reported pro bono hours should be disclosed publicly.
Task force makes recommendations for pro bono reporting
As the Indiana Supreme Court continues to consider mandating all Indiana attorneys report the number of pro bono hours they work, a task force has proposed that the donated hours be disclosed publicly only in an aggregate form rather than identifying the number of pro bono hours performed by an individual or a firm.
Establishing Miller Trusts
Attorneys offer their pro bono services to help nursing home residents keep their Medicaid benefits.