Welcome to First Impressions, a place for sharing your thought about legal news and issues in Indiana and beyond. I'm your host, Jennifer Nelson, Web editor for Indiana Lawyer. Just like in the courtroom, we encourage everyone to interact with civility.
Recent Blog Posts
Thoughts from D.C.
January 21, 2009
Comments(0)Here’s what IL reporter Rebecca Berfanger wrote last night after the inauguration. (That's her above with President Obama
on the TV screen to the right.) Considering I was at my first inauguration in 2005 as grad school student and a...
MoreWitnessing history
January 20, 2009
Comments(0)Indiana Lawyer reporter Rebecca Berfanger is in Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of President Barack Obama and Vice
President Joe Biden. She shared a few tidbits with me via text message today. Because of the number of people in attendance...
MoreRegulating roadside memorials
January 19, 2009
Comments(2)Everyone has seen them while driving – the roadside memorials marking the spot where someone died with a cross, pictures,
flowers, or stuffed animals. One Indiana legislator wants to regulate the erection of these by having the Indiana Department
of Transportation...
MoreSacrifice for job security
January 15, 2009
Comments(0)How much would you be willing to give up for the good of your law firm or office? I heard on the news The Indianapolis Star
is requiring all employees – even the higher-ups – to take one week off without...
MoreGay marriage amendment back
January 14, 2009
Comments(2)Thanks to state Reps. P. Eric Turner, R-Marion, and Dave Cheatham, D-North Vernon, Hoosiers can once again argue about whether
or not we should have a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The two recently announced at a press conference they
are...
MoreBills, bills, bills
January 12, 2009
Comments(0)As the 2009 General Assembly session heats up, no doubt there will be bills that cause us to ask, “What were they thinking?”
Some seem redundant; others just plain strange. The Senate has until Jan. 15 to file bills; all House...
MoreBest job: lawyer or paralegal?
January 9, 2009
Comments(0)Paralegals have better jobs than attorneys, according to one job search Web site’s ranking of professions. Researchers at
careercast.com analyzed numerous jobs and looked at five main criteria – physical demands, stress, work environment, income,
and outlook (potential salary growth, unemployment rates)...
MoreA lawyer walks into a bar…
January 7, 2009
Comments(0)Stop me if you’ve heard this one: How many personal injury lawyers does it take to change a light bulb? The answer: Three
– one to change the light bulb, one to destabilize the ladder, and one to sue the ladder...
MoreWe don’t publish rumors
January 5, 2009
Comments(0)Today's blog is from IL managing editor Betsy Brockett: Day after day, we read stories in the National Law Journal and other
legal publications about how the tumultuous economy has hit the legal profession again and again. Even close to home,...
MoreNew Year’s resolutions
December 30, 2008
Comments(0)It’s the time of year when we reexamine the past and look to a new year with hope and excitement in terms of bettering ourselves
with resolutions. Exercise more; eat less; travel more; stop smoking. Many people make personal resolutions, but...
MoreComplaint reignites debate
December 19, 2008
Comment(1)At the end of October, I wrote about Indianapolis defense attorney Bob Hammerle filing a complaint with the Disciplinary
Commission regarding television ads run by Attorney General Republican candidate Greg Zoeller. Hammerle has since heard back
and I thought you’d like...
MoreWhat’s in a name?
December 17, 2008
Comment(1)After reading the comments on our last post, I wanted to expound on my previous post on law firm name changes. Firm names
evolve with the addition or departure of partners. That’s the nature of the business. It’s when we lose...
MoreMergers end Indiana names
December 15, 2008
Comments(3)Sommer Barnard – gone. Locke Reynolds – gone beginning next year. Yes, the attorneys and staff remain in Indiana, but the
names have changed or soon will change. Their new names come from firms based outside of the state. It’s just...
MoreMore law firm job cuts
December 12, 2008
Comments(0)Is it harder on the psyche of the legal community to hear of cuts and mergers from a large firm as opposed to a smaller one?
That thought popped into my head after learning about the 22 staff cuts at Baker...
MoreSupport staff spread thinner
December 10, 2008
Comment(1)Let’s keep this blog’s discussion about law firm staff cuts going and talk about support staff cuts today. The National Law
Journal has an article about paralegal, secretary, and other support staff cuts at firms. Firms are looking to cut costs...
MoreMarketing cuts “dumb”
December 8, 2008
Comment(1)Here’s a little more on the topic of law firm marketing cuts. Reporter Michael Hoskins spoke to an expert at Altman Weil,
a legal consulting firm, last week for a story on a different topic and the two also briefly discussed...
MoreFirm mergers & the economy
December 4, 2008
Comments(0)Looks like Locke Reynolds answered the question I posed in a blog from October. Locke confirmed they are merging with Louisville-Cincinnati
firm Frost Brown Todd and taking that firm’s name. This is the second merger a large Indianapolis firm has undertaken...
MoreMarketing cuts: good or bad?
December 3, 2008
Comments(2)How essential are law firm marketing departments? I guess it depends who you ask. That department is taking a hit because
of the economy, according to a recent article in The National Law Journal . Law firms that are struggling to...
MoreDirect mail restrictions
December 1, 2008
Comments(0)Have you ever been in an accident and then received mail from an attorney only days later? If you have, did you find the mailing
helpful or annoying? That’s what the Indiana State Bar Association wants to find out from residents...
MoreFrom spouse to roommate
November 26, 2008
Comments(0)When times get tough economically, people don’t divorce. At least, that’s what the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
are saying. The group sent out a press release recently that said divorce rates are more likely to fall rather than rise when...
MoreSCOTUS book worth a read?
November 24, 2008
Comments(0)From IL reporter Michael Hoskins: As you might expect, we like to read and write here at Indiana Lawyer. Perusing lawsuits,
caselaw, court opinions, and legal news in general is all part of the job reporting on the Hoosier legal...
MoreGod and the BMV
November 21, 2008
Comments(0)Who would have thought God would be such an issue at the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles? The religious deity and the use
of the word “God” continue to prompt Indiana residents to file suits – one challenging the lack of...
MoreStatehouse prayer sequel?
November 19, 2008
Comments(2)UPDATE Nov. 20: The ACLU of Indiana’s Ken Falk said today that the rumblings about Statehouse prayer he’s hearing are disconcerting
and that the legislators’ actions will warrant a watchful eye. He didn’t say it, but another legal battle regarding prayer...
MoreLawyers and the Big 3
November 17, 2008
Comments(0)There’s been a lot of talk lately in the news about the Big Three automakers – Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors – and how
the companies are struggling in the current economy. The automakers are turning to Congress for possibly $25...
More1 million ‘yes’ votes
November 12, 2008
Comment(1)The Indiana Supreme Court announced today that more than one million people voted to retain the three justices up for retention
this year. That’s the first time that many people have voted “yes” to keep a justice in office. I wonder...
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Indianapolis law firm Stewart & Irwin closing
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SCOTUS rules against Indiana farmer in seed patent case
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Social media sleuths find evidence, but admissibility requires authentication
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Mediation space key to resolution, even if it’s a getaway divorce
Court Calendar
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May 22, 2013 Floyd Weddle v. State of Indiana - 5/22/13
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May 24, 2013 Indiana Patient's Compensation Fund v. Judy Holcomb, Personal Representative of the Estate of Mable Louise Cochran, deceased - 5/24/13
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May 28, 2013 The Estate of Richard A. Mayer and Spangler, Jennings & Dougherty, P.C., v. Lax, Inc., and David Lasco - 5/28/13
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June 12, 2013 Northern Assurance Company of America v. Thomson, Inc., et al. - 6/12/13
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With all due respect, Rick, I think you probably would be making a mistake by going to law school. The job market for attorneys is so saturated, you may well find yourself unemployed and with a lot of debt. You mention law would be a good supplement to your skills. True. But employers unfortunately don't value that. You will find that a law degree may well pigeonhole you into an attorney slot and limit career options. If you have a good job now I would hold onto that. As an attorney, you may well end up making less with the aforementioned debt.
Jack, I was only responding to bill's comment of tying everybody in government together. I agree with you though, it takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch.. As in any profession. What's truly unfair is when somebody violates someone's trust and takes complete advantage of someone
John’s comment is unfair. The majority of attorneys can be trusted. Unfortunately, all it takes is one greedy, unscrupulous, immoral attorney to jade the public.
In regards to bill's comment about trusting the cover meant. We can trust them about as much as we can trust attorneys'.
This is disturbing to learn...