Blomquist: Reflecting on a Great Year with Gratitude
My last column begins with my favorite quote from E.B. White, which also rests on my signature line as Legal Counsel for the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Kerry Hyatt Blomquist
Articles
Blomquist: In Praise of the Paralegal
Why are we losing favor among our paralegals and more importantly what can we do to correct this?
Blomquist: Inspiring the Next Generation in the Shadow of Greatness
As the Indianapolis Public Schools Magnet School for Law and Public Policy, Shortridge has been designed to be the chosen path for future lawyers, legislators, business leaders and policymakers from Indianapolis.
Blomquist: A Shout Out for Humility and Knowing When to Ask
You are probably receiving your IndyBar membership renewal forms right about now. Take a moment to review the new format to realize that the legal world is indeed your oyster.
Blomquist: Embracing Diversity for the Greater Good
The IndyBar job fair connects diverse students with Indy employment.
Blomquist – Using Your Powers for Good: Build Your Practice with Pro Bono
October is Pro Bono Awareness Month, so it makes sense for me to focus this column on pro bono work. Before your eyes glaze over and you start looking for pictures of people you know elsewhere in this publication, stick with me for a minute. Sure, there are the obvious warm and fuzzy “volunteer to save the world” arguments for practicing pro bono publico service, and if you know my professional history, you know I believe them all. I think I am as warm and fuzzy and altruistic as I can be while still making my mortgage payments. I believe that doing pro bono work increases your engagement, satisfaction and longevity in this profession and that in turns benefits us in all ways long term.
Blomquist: Why go it Alone? Mentors Provide Support
I went to the annual Women and the Law Division (aka WLD) summer social earlier this summer. This is one of my favorite IndyBar gatherings because women law students, lawyers and judges of all ages and from all career paths have a chance to socialize, network and just have fun. WLD Chair Nicky Mendenhall ran the show and we were all equally entertained and motivated by guest speaker Judge Robyn Moberly, the first women in the state of Indiana to be appointed a federal bankruptcy court judge.
Blomquist: All I Really Need to Know About Being a Lawyer, I Learned in Kindergarten
Okay, that is a bit sweeping, I admit, and before I rain on our academic colleagues’ summer parade and disenfranchise an entire generation of young lawyers out there who are trudging along with massive law school loan debt, let me revise.
Blomquist: Changing the World and Having a Good Time Through The IndyBar Bar Leader Series
Me again. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that I once dreaded the idea of writing these columns. I really did.
Blomquist: Gideon at 50 is A Work in Progress
2013 marks the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, the landmark Supreme Court decision that established that under the Constitution, states are required to provide a lawyer to criminally charged defendants who cannot otherwise afford one.
Blomquist: The IBA Bench Bar Conference, Well Worth the ‘Conference Depression’ Risk
Here is a new phrase for me: “Conference Depression.
According to the Urban Dictionary, the definition of “conference depression” is: “Being extremely depressed after an awesome weekend at a conference.” Withdrawal usually lasts a day or two depending on the conference.
Blomquist: Online and on Your Time
This week, your IndyBar is launching its Online CLE Course offerings after months of planning by both the IndyBar staff and leadership.
Blomquist: Lawyers Confront Human Trafficking
A series of resolutions passed by the ABA’s House of Delegates at the February Midyear meeting encourages the creation of policies to protect victims. One of those resolutions urges bar associations to develop more training programs to help identify trafficking victims.
Blomquist: Funding our Guarantors of Democracy
Although it’s a challenge to separate the reality from the hype when discussing impact of sequestration on our court system, it is a necessary dialogue, and numbers and potential impact must be shared.
Blomquist: Meaningful, Relevant and Fun, Oh My!
When time, technology and specialization challenge us to stay engaged, how do we as a bar association stay meaningful, relevant and fun?
Blomquist: The Hon. Robyn Moberly, Indiana’s First Female Federal Bankruptcy Court Judge
I am an unapologetic believer in, and admirer of, women lawyers.
Blomquist: The IndyBar’s Attorney Apprentice Program
You have no doubt heard or read about it before—times are a changing and there is a lot of dialogue out there right now about the face of legal education in America, the uncertain economics of the practice of law, and how one affects the other.
Blomquist: One Column Down, One Amazing Year to Go
Indeed, this is my first column as President of the Indianapolis Bar Association–the first of many I am told–and short of some bad state fair karaoke a few years back, this is the most intimidated I’ve been in a long while, though not by my position as steward of this exceptional organization but by assuming you want to hear my musings along the way.