Ramsey Clark, attorney general under Johnson, dies at 93
Ramsey Clark, the attorney general in the Johnson administration who became an outspoken activist for unpopular causes and a harsh critic of U.S. policy, has died. He was 93.
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LSC prepares another supplemental legal aid funding request
Saying civil legal aid can help make the American Jobs Plan “work the way Congress intends,” the Legal Services Corp. is requesting supplement funding between $350 million and $500 million be included in the infrastructure package proposed by the Biden administration.
Attorney: Order that police pay for OWI blood draws may end ‘unfair’ practice
A Washington County trial judge has issued an order that a southern Indiana attorney said may uproot a long-standing practice requiring people suspected of drunk driving to pay for hospital blood-alcohol tests ordered by law enforcement, calling the practice “blatantly unfair.”
ILAS gets $250,000 boost from Lilly Endowment
Indianapolis Legal Aid Society has received a $250,000 COVID-19 relief grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., providing much-needed support for legal assistance to low-income Hoosiers in central Indiana who have been acutely affected by the ongoing pandemic.
Pro bono filing fee bill needs buzzer-beating play to pass Legislature
Although the Indiana General Assembly has unanimously supported a $1 pro bono surcharge tacked onto the state’s filing fee for civil cases since 2012, a bill that would have increased the amount to $3 did not get a committee hearing this session, raising alarm that the key funding stream for legal aid could run dry just as the need is growing.
Lilly Endowment gives $250K boost to legal aid
Indiana Legal Services has received a $250,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment to help the growing number of Hoosiers who have legal needs as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency.
ABA urges key reforms on student loan debt
In an effort to address the crushing weight posed by student loan debt, the American Bar Association House of Delegates adopted a resolution penned by a group of young lawyers during its midyear meeting last week. The resolution urges programs to assist law school graduates and law students experiencing financial hardship due to their student loan debt.
Web Exclusive: New pro bono mediation project resolves family law cases with less time, money
Two Indianapolis lawyers who had an idea to start a pro bono mediation service for family law cases were stunned by the reception from the local legal community, as more than 100 answered a call for volunteers. “It’s mind-blowing,” said one of the organizers of a program described as “blue jeans mediation.”
Pro Bono Matters: Expungement clinics a great chance to provide a second chance
In a world where everything you need to know about a person is in the palm of your hand, some Indiana citizens have a hard time leaving their past mistakes behind. In order to address this, many lawyers dedicate their pro bono efforts to assisting with expungement clinics, which help eligible prior offenders seal certain arrest and conviction records.
Record-setting fundraiser brings ‘breath of fresh air’
When planning for the 2020 holiday campaign started last February, Indianapolis Legal Aid Society had big ideas to host a kickoff party and enlist volunteers to talk to donors face-to-face with the goal of bringing in record contributions. Then the COVID-19 crisis changed everything. Despite the obstacles, the holiday fundraiser not only collected donations but surpassed the original goal of $225,000.
Cy pres from Celadon judgment benefitting legal aid
The remainder of a multi-million-dollar judgment won by Cohen & Malad against the former Celadon Trucking Services is providing welcome support to civil legal aid in Indiana.
Veteran pro bono leader Fennell joins Taft
As a new year starts, Monica Fennell, longtime pro bono advocate and past executive director of the former Indiana Pro Bono Commission, is stepping into a new role as pro bono director for Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where she will coordinate the volunteer legal work of the more than 600 attorneys in the firm’s 11 offices.
Nursing home patient, family seek to enforce rights as to care
A case pending before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals brought on behalf of a northwest Indiana man suffering from dementia asks whether a patient in a long-term care facility can enforce rights under the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act.
Pandemic pressures legal aid
Looming evictions with so many Americans unable to pay their rent have been at the forefront of concerns, but legal aid offices and pro bono attorneys see other issues on the horizon. They expect more filings for bankruptcy and guardianships, and they believe more people will reach out for legal assistance with problems connected with consumer debt and domestic violence. Underpinning their ability to help is the need for money.
Fennell joins Taft as firm’s first pro bono director
Monica Fennell, a longtime leader in pro bono efforts in Indiana, has jumped to Taft Stettinius & Hollister, where she is now in charge of building a volunteer lawyer program across the law firm’s 11 offices.
Barnes & Thornburg launches foundation to promote racial justice
Saying it is time to do more than talk, Barnes & Thornburg attorneys and staff are taking an active role in promoting equity by forming a nonprofit and, so far, contributing $200,000 to support charities focused on racial justice in their local communities, including Indianapolis.
Spending package contains historic appropriation for legal aid
With the president’s signature on the $2.3 trillion spending bill, the Legal Services Corporation is set to receive $465 million, the largest appropriation in actual dollars for the organization in its history.
Plaintiffs in protracted CAFO litigation hit with counterclaim
Farmers and neighbors who battled over an 8,000-hog confined animal feeding operation in Hendricks County are starting a second round of fighting with the farmers filing a counterclaim, arguing the lawsuit brought by their neighbors and litigated for multiple years through four courts was “frivolous.”
Web Exclusive: Setbacks don’t hinder Bloomington free expungement provider
Indiana University Maurer School of Law graduates who last year started an expungement help desk marked scores of personal victories through their work under trying circumstances and hope to build on early successes that helped clients in dozens of counties.
Southern District Court announces appointment of newest magistrate judge
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana announced its newest magistrate judge on Friday, who will help alleviate the overwhelming caseload faced by one of the busiest federal court districts in the country.