JUNE 6-11, 2026
Some relief may be on the way for employers worried about a wave of federal lawsuits over tobacco surcharges they add for people covered by their health plans. Writer Tom Murphy reports that about 50 lawsuits have popped up around the country in recent years contesting these surcharges, including one case filed in May against Elkhart’s Patrick Industries Inc. Also, reporter Maura Johnson talks with Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law professor Lloyd T. Wilson Jr., better known as Tom Wilson, who has served McKinney students since 1999 and is retiring.
Top StoriesBack to Top
Federal judges have sided with employers in three recent cases brought by employees over extra fees
Recent rulings have rejected some key claims employees make when suing over the surcharges, which generally require people to pay extra for coverage until they take a program to quit tobacco.
Read More
After 25 years at McKinney, Tom Wilson isn’t done teaching
Although his teaching has focused more prominently on contract and real estate law, Tom Wilson has always had a strong passion for international studies
Read More
Indiana Office of Inspector General announces felony charges against former state employees
The unrelated cases involve charges against a former Indiana Veteran’s Home employee and a former Indiana Department of Child Services family case manager.
Read More
Two Indy law firms seeking more than $165K in NFL concussion settlement fees
According to the lawsuit, the disputed fees arise from attorney-fee recoveries connected to claims made through the NFL Concussion Settlement Program.
Read More
Indiana shows support for Labor Department’s prevailing wage raise proposal
The change would likely price foreign workers out of the U.S. labor market, of which they comprised about 19% of in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Read MoreOpinionBack to Top
Jack Pitchford: Young attorneys should embrace feedback, redlines
There is already a learning curve to becoming an attorney — new responsibilities, trying to find the elusive “work-life balance” and handling this new world you have joined.
Read MoreGary Germann: Safe spaces: Rooms offer victims comfort in Porter County
The time the Lanham family spent in the hallways of the Porter County Courthouse exposed a major shortfall in how victims and their families are treated during criminal trials.
Read More