2018 outlook: Litigation spending up, law firm rosters down
In a legal market that continues to ask firms to do more with less, there is a bright spot expected to bring about a possible business increase in 2018: litigation.
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In a legal market that continues to ask firms to do more with less, there is a bright spot expected to bring about a possible business increase in 2018: litigation.
As attorneys, we can only counsel our clients, and we cannot always control their actions. But hopefully, we can help them understand how their actions may impact their children, even indirectly. Parents need to be careful not to place their children in the middle — and not only with words, but by their actions.
Multi-million-dollar verdicts in personal injury cases are rare in Indiana, but they signify a jury’s determination to provide quality of life for the injured, practitioners say.
While they are often portrayed as monetary safeguards for the rich and famous, prenuptial agreements have been appealing to a different demographic in recent years: millennials. In fact, about 51 percent of family law attorneys within the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers said they have noticed an increase in the number of young couples seeking premarital agreements.
Indiana Senate Bill 101, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, was signed by then-Gov. Mike Pence on March 26, 2015. An amendment was then signed the following month. Since, RFRA has been cited in a few unexpected ways.
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has asked a court to rule in the state’s favor against what he calls “a small group of marijuana enthusiasts operating in Indianapolis under the name ‘First Church of Cannabis.’” An attorney for the church said he was thrilled at Hill’s response to its lawsuit on religious freedom grounds.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Robert Wilder v. State of Indiana
49A02-1706-CR-1420
Criminal. Affirms Robert Wilder’s conviction of battery resulting in bodily injury as a Class A misdemeanor and the term of his probation that prohibits him from possessing a firearm. Finds the Marion Superior Court did not commit fundamental error by failing to sua sponte exclude Det. Kevin Duley’s testimony under Rule of Evidence 704(b) because Wilder “opened the door” to that testimony. Also finds the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it imposed the probation condition because the condition does not violate the Second Amendment or Article 1, Section 32 of the Indiana constitution.
The Indiana Supreme Court will decide whether a teenager who made violent threats against his school can be adjudicated as a delinquent for both attempted and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery after it hears oral arguments in the Jackson County case this week.
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a man’s battery conviction and probationary prohibition on possession of a firearm, finding the trial court did not err in the process of hearing testimony and imposing a sentence.
A Republican Indiana state senator wants the votes of dead people to count.
Several more Indiana communities have joined the growing list of governments suing pharmaceutical companies and distributors over their roles in the opioid abuse crisis.
Federal prosecutors are asking that the former sheriff of Indiana’s second most-populous county be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison for taking tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from towing businesses.
“All these people died, and it happened under my watch,” claims Joe Rannazzisi, former Deputy Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Rannazzisi ran the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, which is the division that regulates, investigates and prosecutes the pharmaceutical industry, and he’s set to present the opening plenary session for the 2018 Bench Bar Conference in Louisville June 14 – 16.
It’s a new year and people everywhere are making resolutions. Whether you’re making your first resolution, maintaining one from last year, or trying an old resolution again, there are several steps to set yourself on the path to success.
Intentionality in seeking career opportunities helps propel progress. The legal profession is no exception. We strive to have a legal workforce that is representative of the clients and communities that we serve. In this current climate, now more than ever, we need lawyers to be leaders in the courtroom, the legislature, in business and family matters and in our community to help eradicate unfair social stratification barriers.
How can you keep up with pending legislation that’s important to you and your practice? The IndyBar Legislative Committee, chaired this year by Lawren Mills of Ice Miller LLP, will provide weekly Bill Watch reports throughout the session, which highlight progress and recent actions taken on bills being monitored by the association.
Film reviewer Bob Hammerle finds something to like — and not — in five recent movies.
I know that my desire to write and reach others who suffer is difficult for some people to understand. Many people view mental illness as a personal matter that should be kept private. I see nothing wrong with keeping it private. I do not think that anyone with a mental health diagnosis should feel pressured to disclose. Dealing with the disease in this way is just part of who I am. It was something that I tried, and it has worked for me.
“It’s only minimal competence.” This well-meaning phrase is meant to reassure bar examinees that, though the exam is difficult, you only need to pass it, not receive a high score. Despite the minimal competence standard, bar examinees still stress about the exam. As a recent examinee, I want to share how three significant changes surrounding the bar exam in the past 20 years have contributed to examinee stress.
Spring is closer than it seems, and so is The Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law ceremony recognizing 15 Distinguished Barristers and 15 Up and Coming Lawyers, as well as those who’ve earned these honors in years past. The awards begin with your nominations, due Jan. 17.