Volunteer judges needed for mock trial competition
The Indiana Bar Foundation is making a final call for volunteers to serve as judges during the 2021 National High School Mock Trial Championship in mid-May.
Civics education
Articles
Indiana Bar Foundation launches mock trial diversity program
The Indiana Bar Foundation, with the support of several major law firms, has launched a diversity initiative designed to remove financial barriers that can prevent high school students from participating in mock trial programs.
Indiana lawmakers require civics class for middle schoolers
A bill incorporating civics education into Hoosier students’ middle school curriculum is headed to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk after House lawmakers voted Thursday to pass the measure.
Work to keep voters informed continuing even in non-election year
In a year without an election, The Indiana Citizen, a nonprofit focused on increasing voter turnout, is transforming its website into a source of news and information about Hoosier politics, elected officials and civic issues that attorney co-founder Bill Moreau described as “our new venture into accountability journalism.”
U.S. Capitol building leaves lasting impression on former staffers
The memories of Indiana legal professionals who have worked in the Capitol contrast with Tuesday’s images of an angry mob storming through the 100-year-old doors, breaking windows and meandering across the rotunda. “I take it personally,” one said.
Indiana Bar Foundation condemns attack on Capitol
Saying the rights provided in the Constitution come with obligations, the Indiana Bar Foundation has issued a statement condemning Wednesday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol Building.
Federal courts invite families to celebrate Bill of Rights through virtual event
As courts nationwide are celebrating the anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution’s first 10 Amendments during the month of December, families are invited to join in during a Wednesday evening event.
Building civic-minded Hoosiers: Task force recommends expanding civic education statewide
The 2019 Indiana Civic Health Index called attention to the issue of community participation and recommended the appointment of a committee to examine civic education. As a result, the Indiana Bar Foundation Civic Education Task Force was formed. At a Nov. 18 press conference, officials presented a final report urging a series of recommendations to improve civic education in Indiana.
Task force makes recommendations to bolster civic education in Indiana
The Indiana Bar Foundation Civic Education Task Force released a series of recommendations Wednesday for improving Hoosier students’ understanding of American democracy. The proposals include revising academic standards, providing more professional development for teachers and strengthening ties to the community.
Indiana Citizen leads effort to get young Hoosiers registered to vote
With the voter registration deadline looming, The Indiana Citizen has launched a digital advertising campaign designed to get more 18- and 19-year-old Hoosiers registered for the November presidential election.
External webcams, quiet rooms among details for first-ever remote bar exam in July
The nearly 500 applicants who have registered to take the Indiana Bar Exam in July will need to have external webcams, quiet rooms and be prepared to write extensively for the test that will be given remotely for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hoosier families invited participate in virtual citizenship challenge
Families looking for a fun way to engage together can gather around and test their brains during a virtual U.S. Citizenship Test challenge that will be hosted next week by the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site.
Mock trial championship sticks with Evansville, resets date for 2021
About a month after Evansville got the heartbreaking news the National High School Mock Trial Championship would not be coming in May 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the city and legal profession were told not to roll up the welcome mat just yet.
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.
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.
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.
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.