Federal Bar Update: Diversity test for corporations now settled
For diversity jurisdiction purposes, one area of uncertainty for many years has been how to determine the citizenship of a
corporation.
Courts
Articles
Court issues UPL ruling about ‘general counsel’
A top executive of Celadon Group Inc. can no longer represent himself as the Indianapolis-based trucking company’s attorney
because of a glaring omission – he is not licensed to practice law in Indiana.
Technology Untangled: Don’t be intimidated by hard drive upgrade
Screwdriver: Check. $47 hard drive cloning device: Check. That’s the complete list of tools needed to EASILY upgrade your
computer’s hard drive.
SCOTUS rules against student-loan company
The Supreme Court of the United States clarified March 23 the discharge of federal student-loan debt in bankruptcy involving
an Indianapolis-based education loan guarantor.
2 county court systems get e-filing approval
Two of Indiana’s largest counties are getting close to putting electronic filing plans into place after receiving a green
light from the Indiana Supreme Court late last year and early this year for pilot projects.
Recent SCOTUS ruling was ‘brainchild’ of Terre Haute attorney Jim Bopp
In the world of campaign finance and election law, Terre Haute attorney Jim Bopp is one of the leading legal minds involved
in some of the most influential cases in these areas of law.
Judge resigns, Surpreme Court bans from bench
The Indiana Supreme Court has accepted the resignation of a suspended city court judge accused of theft. The judge is also
permanently banned from judicial office.
Legal process on mental illness isn’t yet where it should be
Courts nationally began in the mid-1990s to focus on mental illness and how the judiciary could fine-tune what it does to
better address that issue. But many within the Hoosier legal community say that the criminal justice system hasn’t gone far
enough in the past decade, and both the courts and society are a long way from where they need to be on addressing mental
illness.
Agencies examine UPL
Long before he became Greenwood’s police chief, attorney Joe Pitcher recalls sitting as a special judge in town court and
facing an Unauthorized Practice of Law case that may be one of few like it in Indiana.
RICO case against former East Chicago mayor nets $108M in damages
A federal judge has ordered an ex-mayor and top allies to pay more than $108 million in damages for a voting scandal a decade
ago, but in doing so he’s rejected the Indiana Attorney General’s most novel and far-reaching legal arguments in a landmark
civil racketeering case centered on public corruption in East Chicago.
Legislature’s final days bring up merit selection, out-of-state placement issues
Hoosier lawyers and judges were kept on the edge of their seats as the Indiana General Assembly navigated its final days of
the session, reviving talk on two issues that have significant impact on the state’s judiciary and legal system.
German law student chooses Indianapolis firm for unique internship
During the early months of the year you might have found Andreas Wissman clerking at an Indianapolis firm, having dinner at
a state appellate judge’s home, observing a civil or criminal trial in federal court, or even paging at the Indiana Statehouse.
But the well-versed 28-year-old law student isn’t a permanent part of the Hoosier legal community.
Juvenile justice filmmaker lauded
Calamari Productions and MSNBC will receive the Alliance for Women in Media’s 2010 Gracie Allen Award for an outstanding series
at the organization’s 35th anniversary gala event in May in Hollywood.
DTCI: An updated to Employment Non-discriminaiton Act
ENDA has stalled in Congress since it was first introduced in 1994. The current version of the bill was originally introduced in the summer of 2009 by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) (H.R. 2981, H.R. 3017, S. 1584). The House Education and Labor Committee held a full committee hearing on the bill in September 2009, […]
Legislature, courts navigate uncertainty about registry laws
Hoosier lawmakers are revising state law following the confusion created by an Indiana Supreme Court ruling last year, which
involves how convicted sex offenders can be removed from a statewide registry if they believe registration wasn't required
at the time of their conviction.
Lawmakers move court-funding bills
In the last days of the legislative session, lawmakers addressed funding proposals in HB 1154 on converting Marion County commissioners into magistrates and using a $35 fee on traffic infractions to pay for this; SB 307 that would allow a $50 fee on Bartholomew County traffic infractions to pay for a new Superior Court there; and SB 399 on capping traffic violation fines statewide.
Family courts for pro se parents
While family courts have been around in Indiana for the last decade, the counties that have them continue to make changes to improve access to justice to all litigants who are in the system.
Legal communities in Columbus and Madison deal with fires
Major fires disrupted and displaced attorneys last year in two different cities in southern Indiana. While neither of the original structures are near completion, life is more or less back to normal in Madison and Columbus.
Judges see more cases that involve veterans
For a little more than a year, Grant Superior Judge Mark Spitzer has presided over his local drug court and
has witnessed what he describes as remarkable results from the problem-solving court model.
Court considers broadening emotional distress ‘Bystander Rule’
Parties are waiting for the Supreme Court's decision following arguments in November in a case where a trial court granted and the Court of Appeals affirmed an award for emotional distress above and beyond the capped amount in the Adult Wrongful Death Statute as defined by Indiana Code 34-23-1-2.