15 lawyers selected for inaugural class of ISBA Rural Practice Academy
The chosen lawyers will spend the next 12 months learning how to build sustainable legal practices in rural and underserved communities.
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Indiana State Bar Association leads new program to support rural attorneys
In July, the bar association will launch its first-ever Rural Practice Academy, an 11-month fellowship during which members can learn from legal professionals and one another how to build and sustain legal practices in small communities.
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ABA, Clio partner to offer hotline for lawyers’ COVID, stimulus questions
The American Bar Association is partnering with legal technology services and practice management software provider Clio to offer a toll-free hotline to answer practice-related questions from attorneys regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
SCOTUS sides with Virginia in uranium mining ban case
The United States Supreme Court sided with the state of Virginia on Monday, finding nothing improper about its decades-old ban on mining radioactive uranium. The ruling leaves in place the commonwealth’s prohibition on mining the largest uranium deposit in the United States.
COA reverses judgment in siblings’ estate dispute
A disagreement between two siblings has been squashed now that an appellate court has sided with a woman who was granted last-minute possession of her mother’s estate just days before her death, canceling a former transfer on death deed shared with her brother.
Unpredictable storms: Attorneys link climate change to insurance policy changes
Indiana is having more headaches with water, as evidenced by multiple severe floods in recent years. Purdue climate researchers report that by the mid-century, Hoosiers could see about 6 percent to 8 percent more rainfall than the state averaged from 1971 to 2000. And that could leave many Hoosiers scrambling for adequate insurance.
Web Exclusive: Are E.coli outbreaks a concern for CAFOs?
Large livestock operations in the Western United States are suspected culprits in the E. coli contamination of romaine lettuce, but Hoosier agriculture experts doubt a similar situation is likely here.
New Notre Dame research effort boosts private law program
Notre Dame Law School students interested in the area of private law now have a chance to further their studies with assistance from a research program introduced last week.
Justices skeptical of argument to overturn Va. mining ban
The Supreme Court seemed skeptical of arguments by companies seeking to overturn a decades-old ban on uranium mining in Virginia. The commonwealth has had a ban on uranium mining since the 1980s.
Construction attorneys say contract disputes remain most common
Of all of the things that can go wrong during a construction project, a contractual dispute is the most likely problem. A recent report found that such disputes take, on average, 18 months to resolve — an increase over 2016.
COA: Personal rep in estate case has no claim to survivor damages
After a man who filed a wrongful death suit for his wife died intestate and without heirs while the suit was pending, the Court of Appeals concluded the estate’s personal representative could not claim survivor damages.
New law allows for electronic signing of wills, trusts, powers of attorney
Though the law has a reputation for being resistant to change, new legislation that will take effect this summer is designed to give estate planning attorneys the opportunity to embrace technology when advising clients about probate documents while allowing more traditional lawyers to conduct business as usual.
Justices to hear appeal over trains blocking road crossings
The Indiana Supreme Court will decide whether state or federal law controls how long trains may block road crossings. The Court of Appeals reversed the trial court, ruling that federal law does not preempt state laws that forbid trains from blocking crossings for more than 10 minutes.
Scopelitis announces opening of Seattle branch
Indianapolis-based Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C., announced Monday the opening of a new Seattle branch. The new location brings the firm’s total U.S. offices to 14.
COA upholds summary judgment in dispute over trust
The only surviving son of a Huntington County woman is not entitled to his mother’s house because she did not properly amend her trust to gift it to him, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
Advances in big data promise personalization, challenges for insurers
What happens when technology threatens to not only disrupt a market, but completely reshape it? This is the question facing insurance industry experts as “Insurtech” — a portmanteau of the words “insurance” and “technology” — continues to rise.
Tax reform creates uncertainty for estate, wealth planning
Passage of federal tax reform spelled numerous changes for wealthy Americans, and taxpayers and their lawyers have been forced to learn new nuances to estate planning and wealth management procedures as they try to determine how the new legislation will impact them.
Med-mal, PI firm reorganizes, ready for next 38 years
After almost 38 years in business, Montross Miller Muller Mendelson & Kennedy has undergone a significant reorganization. Two founding partners, John Muller and Tilden Mendelson, retired in 2017, and all four associates — Nathan Miller, Belinda Kunczt, Brad Kallmyer and Kerri Farmer — have been made partners.
McKinney professor instructs Cambodian officials on new laws
Professor Xuan-Thao Nguyen conducted secured transaction law training workshops for legal professionals in December in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was the first such training in the nation for judges on the new laws.
NIU College of Law tosses out-of-state tuition
Starting with the fall semester 2018, Northern Illinois University College of Law will charge one flat tuition rate to all students regardless of whether they are residents of the state or not.
Habegger’s general counsel outsource firm builds on 11 years in house
Ben Habegger is combining his knowledge of business with his entrepreneurial mindset. He has launched a solo practice, Outsourced General Counsel, LLC, offering his services as an in-house lawyer to small businesses that do not have a legal department, and to larger companies that may need short-term legal help with a project or to cover a leave of absence.