Lawmakers back dropping ‘he’ references to state officials
Legislators have approved replacing all the male pronouns in laws describing the duties of Indiana's statewide officeholders with gender-neutral terms.
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Black lawmakers oppose Marion County judge selection bill
A proposal to create a 14-member merit-selection commission to nominate Marion Superior judges would harm minority representation on the bench of the state’s largest county, members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus said in a statement Monday as the bill awaited second reading on the House floor.
Indiana House committee tosses hate-crimes bill
Legislation creating the state’s first hate-crime law to help victims targeted because of their race, sexual identity, religion or other specified characteristic is expected to die because it won’t get a committee hearing in the House, leaving lawmakers few options to address civil rights this year.
Percentage of African-American associates continues to decline
The percentage of African-American associates at law firms has declined each of the last six years, a trend NALP Executive Director James Leipold calls “distressing.”
GOP bill on Indiana LGBT rights has religious exemptions
Indiana Senate Republicans released a proposal Tuesday that would extend state civil rights protections to LGBT people while also carving out broad exemptions for religious institutions and some small businesses that object to working with gay people.
IU, Purdue file amicus in university admissions case
Indiana University and Purdue University have joined with six public universities in filing an amicus brief in support of the University of Texas and its diversity-related admissions policies, which are being considered by the Supreme Court of the United States in Fisher v. University of Texas.
Supreme Court will re-hear Texas affirmative action
The Supreme Court of the United States will dive back into the fight over the use of race in admissions at the University of Texas, a decision that presages tighter limits on affirmative action in higher education.
Housing-discrimination lawsuits backed by US Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States said people who file housing-discrimination lawsuits don’t have to show they were victims of intentional bias, in a blow to lenders and insurers and a surprise legal victory for the Obama administration.
Summer Legal Institute to show teens careers in law
An annual program that gives young people from underrepresented communities a firsthand look at careers in the legal profession will take place this week in Indianapolis.
Courts will have a central role in interpreting Indiana’s amended RFRA
Even before Gov. Mike Pence signed Senate Enrolled Act 101, even before the firestorm of protests started and the nation turned its attention to Indiana, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act appeared to be on its way to court.
Law firm establishes diversity fellowship at IU McKinney
Bose McKinney & Evans LLP has created a new diversity fellowship for first-year students at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
Early education efforts expose youth to various careers in law
Harrison Ndife and his peers gathered at the end of a long week to kick back, talk shop and do a little networking. A rising sophomore at Terre Haute South High School, Ndife had just completed the Summer Legal Institute along with 39 other eighth-graders and high-schoolers. They learned what it will take for them to become lawyers and where their place in the profession might be.
Youth Summer Legal Institute set for IU McKinney
Teenagers interested in legal careers will learn from judges, lawyers and other legal professionals at a program June 16-20 at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis.
McKinney honored for efforts to eliminate discrimination
Attorney and law school benefactor Robert H. McKinney is being honored by the Anti-Defamation League for his work combating discrimination and hate.
Legal profession lags in diversity as compared to other professions
Minority employment in the legal profession has grown significantly slower as compared to certain medical and business professions, according to a study released by Microsoft Corp.
INBOX: State bar needs to speak up on marriage equality
Shawn Marie Boyne writes that the Indiana State Bar Association needs to speak up in defense of marriage equality like the American Bar Association has.
Diversity in legal community growing, but pace too slow
When small-firm founder Nathaniel Lee was admitted to the Indiana bar in 1982, only four African-American attorneys were working at large law firms in the state. Thirty years later when Rubin Pusha was admitted to practice in 2012, diversity had improved with the number of minority lawyers increasing at large and small firms alike. Others cleared the trail for Pusha but, as he looks around, he is still one of too few minority attorneys.
Gary mayor issues call to action for attorneys
Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson implored members of the Marion County Bar Association to speak up because the gains made by previous generations of African-Americans are being rolled back.
Gary Mayor reminds MCBA of history, pushes action
Gary mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson implored members of the Marion County Bar Association to speak up because the gains made by previous generations of African-Americans are being rolled back.
Indiana law firms named among best for women
Three law firms based in Indiana or with offices in the state are among the 50 Best Law Firms for Women in the annual list compiled by Working Mother and consulting firm Flex-Time Lawyers LLC.