Efforts underway to help Hoosiers be engaged, informed
Getting more Hoosiers to vote is no easy task, but two initiatives announced last November have taken a couple of fundamental steps toward increasing election turnout in Indiana.
Civics education
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Public health crisis forces delay, changes in Indiana vote
The decision to postpone Indiana’s primary election was met with bipartisan approval and raised hopes the state will be encouraged to permanently expand access to absentee voting.
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Round trip: Indiana COA hears arguments in all 92 counties
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.
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Articles
US courts make online civics education resources available
With the coronavirus outbreak forcing the closure of schools and preventing many from leaving their houses, the US Courts are offering a series of online civics education resources so homebound students have opportunities to continue learning.
Coronavirus cancels Evansville national mock trial championship
The 2020 National Mock Trial Championship scheduled to take place in Evansville this May has been canceled due to coronavirus crisis, leaving event organizers heartbroken and disappointed.
Roberts: Judges working to promote civics, impartial courts
Federal judges are taking up the challenge to educate Americans about how their government works at a time when false information can spread instantaneously on social media, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote Tuesday in his annual year-end report.
Champions of legal aid, civics education honored at Indiana Bar Foundation dinner
The Indiana legal profession recognized select members of the legal profession and educators, honoring them for their work in either civil legal aid or civic education at the Indiana Bar Foundation’s 2019 Awards Dinner.
Hoosiers active and engaged but avoiding ballot box
Data from the US Census Current Population Survey shows Indiana residents are among the most active in their communities and most engaged politically in the country. However, going to the voting booth and casting a ballot are different matters.
Creating more Hoosier voters by offering one-stop resource
Bill Moreau describes himself as a “’born-again idealist.” The partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP has long been active in public service, and he now wants to boost Indiana’s voter registration and turnout, both of which have slumped below the national average for decades.
Web Exclusive: Inmates pursue legislative opportunities through public policy course
When a college program was crafted for the Indiana Women’s Prison in 2012, director Kelsey Kauffman knew she wanted to teach women about public policy. But the experience also became a life lesson that gave some of the women a new mission after their lives behind bars.
2019 report finds Hoosiers continuing to avoid ballot box
With the release of the fourth measurement of Indiana’s civic engagement, the authors are providing an outline of strategies for expanding civic education programs and improving voting rates. The recommendations in the 2019 Indiana Civic Health Index come as the Hoosier State continues to rank in the bottom 10 of all states on voting and in the bottom third on voter registration.
Lawyers use knights and kings to promote civics
Despite a rain-soaked afternoon, just over 30 chess enthusiasts gathered at the City Market in downtown Indianapolis Oct. 26 to test their skills at the centuries-old game and help support the young, by comparison, American democracy. The We the People White Knight Chess Tournament, sponsored by Cohen & Malad LLP and Barnes and Thornburg LLP, raised money for the Indiana We the People program.
Supreme Court takes oral argument to Parke Heritage High School
Indiana Supreme Court justices will travel to Parke Heritage High School on Tuesday to hear oral arguments in the civil negligence case of Cavanaugh’s Sports Bar & Eatery, Ltd. v. Eric Porterfield, 18A-CT-1814.
Upcoming legal chess tournament sparks competition, promotes family connection
In a family friendly competition pitting plaintiffs' attorneys against defense attorneys, two Indianapolis law firms have come together to host a chess tournament to raise funds for civic education. The We the People White Knight Chess Tournament will take place at 2 p.m. Oct. 26, but registration is already open.
Indiana lawmakers back away from mandating citizenship test
State lawmakers have put the brakes on a measure that would have required Indiana students to pass the U.S. citizenship test to earn a high school diploma.
Volunteer judges sought for Indiana mock trial finals
Indiana’s High School Mock Trial program is sending out a call for volunteer judges during its state finals competition this weekend.
Dunlap: High-quality civic education is worth the investment
Having been involved in civic education in Indiana for almost 20 years, I welcome the recent increased attention on the need to have more civic education in our schools. Civic education holds us together as a state and country by giving us the tools we need to be informed and engaged citizens.
IBF honors civic education, access to justice volunteers
The Indiana Bar Foundation's 2018 Awards Dinner honored Indiana attorneys, bar associations and teachers for their contributions to the foundation, the We the People program and the cause of justice across the state. The dinner, held Sunday night, also recognized this year's Bar Foundation Fellows and featured an announcement about the creation of a new endowment.
ITLA grant among tops for 2020 mock trial national championships in Evansville
Indiana Trial Lawyers Association leaders said it was natural for the organization to pledge $25,000 for the national high school mock trial championships to be held in Evansville in May 2020.
McKinney Endowment nears $20,000 mark
Since the December 2017 creation of an endowment in honor of the late Larry McKinney, senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, the fund is getting close to reaching the $20,000 milestone. The Honorable Larry J. McKinney Fund for Civic Education was started by the Indiana Bar Foundation to support civic educations programs like We the People and Indiana Mock Trial.
ITLA pledges major gift to 2020 Mock Trial Championships
The fundraising for the 2020 National Mock Trial Championships, which be hosted in Evansville, has hit a milestone after the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association pledged $25,000 and became the first major sponsor of the event.
Mock trial regionals begin Saturday
Starting this weekend, more than 350 high school students from around the state will demonstrate their courtroom prowess during the 2018 Indiana Mock Trial competition.