Working at a Fort Wayne law firm before enrolling in law school, Julia Kosnik saw the benefit of being able to help clients across state lines from a partner who was licensed in both Indiana and Michigan. “It would be so much easier if I could take the (Uniform Bar Exam) and practice in both states,” Kosnik said. “I’m hoping they move in that direction.”
Indiana Lawyer readers, have you nominated a deserving attorney for our annual Leadership in Law awards? We know it’s the start of the year, and it’s an especially busy time (when isn’t it?), but time is running out — nominations must be made by noon Jan. 31.
The Indiana Court of Appeals has wrapped up its pursuit of visiting every county through its Appeals on Wheels program. Introduced during the appellate court’s centennial in 2001, the traveling program has ventured statewide to high schools, colleges, law schools and other venues, promoting civics education by inviting local communities to observe how the appellate judiciary works.
Law firm managers have long known they can’t require attorneys to sign noncompete agreements when they join a firm. Even so, there have still been instances where firms have made it challenging for a lawyer trying to make a lateral move. But a recent opinion from the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility makes it clear that any provision of an employment agreement that interferes with a client’s autonomy is never acceptable.
The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission is calling for the suspension of a prominent Indianapolis employment attorney it accused of possessing child pornography in the fallout of a teacher-student sex scandal at Park Tudor High School. His defense team counters that no sanction is warranted.
A southern Indiana man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating parts of her body has once again been found incompetent to stand trial in the 2014 slaying, months after his first trial ended in a mistrial. An agreement between Joseph Oberhansley’s defense attorneys and Clark County prosecutors stipulates that he is to be transported to a state hospital for competency restoration, based on two evaluations filed in December by psychiatrists.
The United States government has filed a complaint against Community Health Network, alleging the central Indiana health care system submitted false claims to the Medicare program. Community, however, is calling the claims “meritless.”
A former Attica High School assistant track coach has been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of production and possession of child pornography. Jeremy Kelley, 41, of Attica, was sentenced by U.S. Southern District Court Senior Judge Sarah Evans Barker, U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler announced Monday.
A Crawfordsville attorney accused of altering photos submitted as evidence in a slip-and-fall case must pay a $1,000 sanction to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The attorney has also self-reported the underlying incident to the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.
Two prominent Hoosiers have joined hundreds of attorneys who signed a letter condemning Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s handling of a possible impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
A Michigan trucker distracted by his coffee mug was charged in connection with a nine-vehicle crash in Boone County that killed three people, including a toddler, and injured more than dozen others, authorities said Monday. Boone County sheriff’s officials said Matthew Small, 34, of Grandville, Michigan, was jailed after being charged with three counts of reckless homicide.
Indiana’s governor opened the door Monday to potentially boosting school funding and teacher pay after weeks of refuting any plans on such action until next year.
Faegre Baker Daniels is being sued by a former client in the cryptocurrency industry who claims the law firm provided erroneous advice that led to allegations of federal security laws violations and a $200,000 fine by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
A battle over a voided annexation ordinance between Bloomington and the Indiana Governor’s Office will continue this week when the Indiana Supreme Court hears oral arguments.
The year 2019 broke the record for U.S. law firm mergers and acquisitions with 115 combinations announced, including Indianapolis offices in some of the biggest deals unveiled.
A split Indiana Court of Appeals panel has reduced a man’s voluntary manslaughter sentence after finding the judge who sentenced him did so in part “to compensate for what he believed to be an erroneous verdict.”
Redistricting reform advocates are taking a slightly different approach at the Republican-controlled Indiana Legislature this year, as they make more transparency the priority ahead of lines being redrawn in 2021.
Democrats in Congress are seeking access to secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, arguing in court Friday that it is relevant to President Donald Trump’s impeachment and could even be a basis for additional accusations against him.
Members of the Republican-dominated General Assembly return Monday to the Statehouse in Indianapolis for their 2020 session, during which they will face continued calls from teacher unions and Democrats for better teacher pay and less reliance on standardized student test scores for evaluation of schools and educators.
A new Indiana rule requiring that booked inmates be assessed to determine risks or benefits of releasing them before trial is expected to eventually reduce overcrowding at the state’s county jails, criminal justice officials say. Criminal Rule 26, which set Indiana’s new pretrial release protocols, was adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2017, but it didn’t take effect statewide until Jan. 1.