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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFifteen lawyers from across the state have been selected for the inaugural class of the Indiana State Bar Association’s Rural Practice Academy.
These lawyers will spend the next 12 months learning how to build sustainable legal practices in rural and underserved communities through training, workshops and mentorship opportunities.
This year’s class includes the following members:
- Ryan Adams, Integreon Inc., Indianapolis
- Ryan Amsler, Amsler Legal Products & Services LLC, Monticello
- Tonya Armstrong, Evansville
- Sam Battistone, Wayne County Public Defender’s Office, Richmond
- Alyn Brown, Brown Legal, Nashville
- John Donovan, John Donovan Law, Mishawaka
- Larry Morrison, Morrison Legal LLC, Morgantown
- Daniel Rios-Lazo, Church Church Hittle and Antrim, Fishers
- Fernando Ruiz, FAR Law LLC, Fort Wayne
- Andrew Shaw, Indiana Department of Child Services, Indianapolis
- John Starbuck, The Starbuck Law Firm LLC, Lafayette
- Alexa Starkey, Taylor, Minnette, Schneider & Clutter P.C., Covington
- Abby Strehle, Encompass Legal Services, Greenwood
- Shelley Voirol, Michelle Voirol Attorney at Law, Vincennes
- Alexis Weaver, City of Indianapolis, Indianapolis
The Rural Practice Academy was developed as part of the bar association’s ongoing efforts to address the state’s attorney shortage. Last July, the Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future published a report of findings and recommendations designed to alleviate the shortage. The academy is one of the recommendations brought forward by the commission’s Incentivizing Rural Practice workgroup.
According to the Indiana Judicial Branch, 49 of the state’s 92 counties are considered “legal deserts,” defined as having fewer than one attorney available per 1,000 residents.
Lawyers in the inaugural class will work in a cohort, attending both virtual and in-person experiences to support their practices.
The academy is supported by several ISBA partners, including LexisNexis and the bar association’s Solo and Small Firm Conference and Probate, Trust & Real Property Section.
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