The focus of the Virtual Ask-a-Lawyer was to provide a place for people to get real help, direction and referrals, especially as the full impact of COVID-19 was shuttering businesses and causing waves of unemployment. To date, since May 2020, more than 100 attorneys have volunteered through the virtual desk and over the telephone to provide answers to more than 1,352 questions.
The world has changed and the world of public education has been forced to change along with it. The reassuring thing for families is that while the world of education has changed, the laws as to what must be provided for children with special needs have not.
Get on board with the local legal community: nominations are being accepted now for positions on the board of directors for both the Indianapolis Bar Association and the Indianapolis Bar Foundation! Nominations of colleagues as well as self-nominations are welcomed.
The strength of our Indianapolis legal community has always been the pipeline of dedicated senior lawyers and law school alumni who invest deeply in our young lawyers to provide them with a guiding light. Your weapon to fight the ill effects of COVID-19 is an iron-willed commitment to mentorship.
Many House members on both sides of the aisle are familiar with local government issues. But Brian Bosma’s exit from lawmaking is significant in terms of the loss of institutional knowledge and history of those issues from the General Assembly’s leadership.
I bet most of you reading this are better at lawyering than teaching. I know I am. Yet, many lawyer parents across the greater Indianapolis community, and all over the country, are finding themselves in the role of teacher this fall as many schools are starting the year in a virtual format or a hybrid in-person and virtual format. As working parents, and especially as lawyers who bill for their time, we are up against some bad math.
The IndyBar is in the process of forming a support group for attorney members experiencing infertility and pregnancy loss. This group will provide a safe, supportive environment for participants, with both peer and facilitator-led sessions.
The unique financial problems occasioned by COVID-19 and the lockdown responses of federal, state and municipal governments draw into sharp focus the fiduciary duties of directors and officers when addressing economic distress for their entities.
Recently, in the case of In re Hitz Restaurant Group (2020 Bankr. LEXIS 1470 (N.D. Ill. June 2, 2020)), the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois-Eastern Division held that a force majeure clause in a lease excused a restaurant tenant from its obligation to pay a portion of post-petition rent.
Named after the Internal Revenue Code section that governs them, Section 529 College Savings Plans (529 Plans) are higher-education savings plan trusts established under section 529(b) of the Internal Revenue Code as “qualified tuition programs.” 529 Plans offer tremendous benefits when planning for educational expenses.
2020. Who would have thought that one year could change so many things? Things we thought were certain, nonnegotiable, and established norms as lawyers were cast aside along with vacation plans, professional sports and pants with buttons. This fall will bring even more uncertainty into our lives as we send our children back to school.
If you are preparing for a WebEx presentation in Indianapolis for a rezoning or variance case, especially one which is contested by Department of Metropolitan Development staff, by significant remonstrance, or both, consider these tips and clarifications.
As we blow out the candles on the virtual “Happy 10th Birthday” cake, the Indiana Appellate Institute continues to do what it does well, especially help first-time or infrequent appellate advocates, while looking for ways to continue to innovate and improve.
2020 has been tough, to say the least. The IndyBar is committed to making your life easier, so we’ve made free CLE through the IndyBar more accessible than ever! IndyBar members can now access all of this year’s Free CLE video replays online at NO additional cost! (That’s a potential savings of over $400!)
The Indianapolis Bar Association is proud to recognize Rayann Knepley of Kids’ Voice of Indiana as the association’s Paralegal of the Year for 2020. We invite you to join the IndyBar in congratulating and celebrating Rayann for her unmatched contributions to the Indianapolis legal community!
Now more than ever, it’s important to remember what makes us unique and support one another. Each year, the Indianapolis Bar Association Women and the Law Division is proud to celebrate Antoinette Dakin Leach, who was the first woman admitted to the Indiana State Bar Association in 1909, by presenting an honor in her name to a trailblazing female attorney.
As of June 16, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has implemented a new examination program to expedite trademark applications related to COVID-19 in light of the current economic circumstances caused by the global pandemic.
As of July 1, 2020, all instruments which are to be recorded in the State of Indiana (deeds, mortgages, etc.) will need to comply with a modification to Indiana Code 32-21-2-3(a). Specifically, the Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Enrolled Act 340 during its 2020 session, which included a provision changing an “or” to an “and” in Indiana Code 32-21-2-3(a). The change invoked a requirement of common law “proof”, which is the requirement of a disinterested party to the transaction serving as a witness to the execution of an instrument.
The IndyBar E-Discovery, Cybersecurity and Information Governance Section leaders Jennifer Tudor Wright and Katrina Gossett Kelly recently presented another successful and informative CLE entitled “Practical Tips to Bolster your Legal Hold Notice.” Jennifer and Katrina drew on their e-discovery experience and reviewed key elements of a legal hold notice, case law updates, confidentiality/privilege issues and additional considerations for attorneys and their clients.
From Indy legal legends to nationally renowned writers and field experts, “Off the Record” host (and past IndyBar president) James Bell goes beyond the courtroom and delves into the minds of his esteemed guests. The podcast features stories and insight on topics like gender diversity in the profession, President Donald Trump’s impeachment, what it’s like to argue at the U.S Supreme Court, the fight for racial equality and so much more.