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IndyBar Guest Column: What I’ve Learned from 2020 and What I Hope for in 2021

| From IndyBar

There were a lot of things I was going to do this year, places I was going to go (conferences in French Lick, AFCC in New Orleans, a girls’ trip to Hilton Head … gone but not forgotten, clearly) that just went completely off the rails. Instead, I learned some things, experienced some “personal growth” and so far, I’ve survived. I thought I’d share some things in case you were feeling alone, or want to feel superior, or are just looking for some product suggestions.

 

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Trimble: Are legal services a basic human need?

| John Trimble

As we approach the end of 2020, many of us are contemplating our personal and business charitable contributions. The ravages of the pandemic have left many with no paycheck, no home and living in a state of hopelessness. Imagine what it has been like for people who were already in chronic need before COVID arrived. There has rarely been a time when the need for public generosity has been as great as it is this year.

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Parrish: IU Maurer research focusing on most topical issues of 2020

| Austen Parrish

The three major stories of 2020 — the COVID-19 pandemic, the heightened awareness of racial injustice and the election — have made this year one that we will remember. While we couldn’t have envisioned all that would happen at the beginning of the year, our faculty are producing useful and thought-provoking scholarship on all these topics.

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Van Tyle: The future of immigration in 2021 and beyond

Former Vice President Joe Biden has declared victory in the 2020 election. Both President Donald Trump and Biden have plans for immigration in this country, though their plans vary widely. I’ve chosen a few hot topic issues on which to compare the candidates, but it in no way represents the comprehensive platforms of either candidate.

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Durham: Best practices for I-9 compliance critical during pandemic

As the economy reopens, immigration compliance, often an afterthought, should be a priority as organizations recall furloughed workers and hire new employees. Employers who adhere to best practices for immigration compliance not only mitigate the risk of immigration fines or criminal sanctions but also the negative publicity that often accompanies immigration enforcement actions.

 

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Letter to the editor: Courteous and professional? We can do better

I generally cannot go but a few weeks without having a phone call with opposing counsel littered with interruptions. I can tell you several names of opposing counsel who have simply hung up on me (most of the time, they are the ones who called in the first place). … Candidly, this is all purely anecdotal. However, I can tell you that, unfortunately, every instance involved behavior conducted by a male attorney.

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Crabtree: A healthy dose of humility never hurt anyone

The last thing Indiana Lawyer readers need is a new attorney giving them tips, best practices and pitfalls to avoid. So as a new attorney, I will instead tell a story about humility — something that any person can (and should) experience at any time in their life. I received a large dose of it after I was sworn in as an attorney.

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Collins: New associates: Step one — develop your skills

Many of you recently passed the state bar exam and were sworn in to practice law within the last couple of months. I was in your shoes one year ago and will now impart some of the “knowledge” I have learned in my first year as a lawyer. It is up to you to decide if what I have learned is helpful to you or if I am full of it.

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Schilling: Legal workplace strategy in the era of COVID-19

After COVID-19, law firms must rethink what the office environment can deliver better than the experience of working remotely. What can the future law firm office do better? How can tomorrow’s law firm office improve connection and interaction, encourage collaboration, and provide modern, convenient services?

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DTCI: Looking forward to simple pleasures whenever we return to normal

| From DTCI

As I write this article, my thoughts are focusing on the future and what I anticipate doing again when we return to normal — whatever that normal may be. Some who know me — and especially my wife — know that I am more of a “half-empty glass” than a “half-full glass” person. However, with an optimistic eye, I will look forward to what the future may be when we return to normal.

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JLAP: Retirement — the view from the other side

| Stephen Terrell

Retirement. Depending on where someone is on the age spectrum, it is a prospect too distant to be felt with any sense of reality or something that is coming like a fastball straight at your nose. Two lawyers who recently retired and I exchanged our thoughts about life in retirement.

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Start Page: IPad OS update gives you permission to Scribble

| Seth Wilson

For a long time, I’ve wanted a legal pad app for my iPad that could reliably turn my handwriting into text. The iPad and Apple Pencil should do this well, but there was too much friction in getting the text to be recognized and usable. That’s all changed with the latest iPad OS update. Apple gives users Scribble — the ability to hand-write in any field on the iPad and the iPad will turn handwriting into text, almost instantly. This is a serious tool.

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Boldt: Go with the flowchart to show the course for estate plans

A helpful tool to simplify complex scenarios for clients is the use of visual aids or flowcharts to demonstrate key portions of a will or trust. Particularly in a trust instrument, a diagram of how assets flow is often very helpful to clients and helps them understand things simply.

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