Supreme Court: Text, email notifications available for courts to contact jurors
Indiana trial courts can now send text and email reminders, cancellations, and rescheduling notices to jurors, the Indiana Supreme Court announced on Friday.
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New firms juggle business challenges, pandemic pressures
Hanging a shingle is always risky. Add a pandemic to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for stress. Most lawyers across Indiana felt the pinch of the COVID-19-induced economic downturn in some fashion. But those who made career moves in the months before the pandemic say the recession has put their business acumen to the test.
New strategic goals set for improving state courts
The Judicial Conference of Indiana’s strategic plan for the next decade, titled 2020 Forward, rededicates areas of achievement previously attained with past white papers while also setting new goals striving for greater accountability and access to justice.
Online version of LSAT gaining clout with law schools
Like many things that scrambled to the virtual world as the coronavirus chased everyone inside their own homes, the online version of the LSAT is turning out to be a popular replacement to the traditional in-person law school entrance exam.
Justices’ order lifts restrictions on distance CLE credits
The Indiana Supreme Court has announced that any virtual continuing legal education courses taken during this time will not count toward the credit-hour limitations on distance education.
Software provider to Indiana courts, state and local governments hacked
A major provider of software services to state, county and local governments, including the online publishing of election results and the online records system for Indiana state courts, told customers Wednesday that an unknown intruder broke into its phone and information technology systems.
SCOTUS to stick with arguments via telephone for now
The Supreme Court said Wednesday it will start its new term next month the way it ended the last one, with arguments by telephone because of the coronavirus pandemic and live audio available to the public. The latter decision came at least in part at the urging of teachers from Chief Justice John Roberts’ Indiana high school.
Judicial Conference releases 10-year strategic plan to improve Indiana justice system
A strategic plan to improve Indiana’s justice system over the next 10 years has been released by the Judicial Conference of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court announced Tuesday.
Plugged In: When it comes to data breaches, security starts with you
Although many of us prefer to believe that we are protected and that our IT department, antivirus and malware tools are keeping us safe from all account hacking threats, it is vital that we understand our role in keeping our own accounts safe.
Justices to hear ordinance dispute involving barred IU frat house
Indiana Supreme Court justices will consider argument in an ordinance dispute between a southern Indiana property owner and the city of Bloomington over a former Indiana University fraternity house when it resumes virtual oral arguments this month.
Fall 2020 Indiana bar admission ceremony to be held virtually
For the second time this year, new Indiana attorneys will be taking their oaths via videoconference during the Fall 2020 Bar Admission Ceremony, the Indiana Supreme Court has announced.
Charges, sanctions revive specter of Russian interference
The Trump administration has charged a Russian national in a sweeping plot to sow distrust in the American political process and imposed sanctions against a Russia-linked Ukrainian lawmaker accused of interfering in the U.S. presidential election.
Video outlines Southern District jury precautions during pandemic
Hoping to allay fears of people summoned to federal court for jury duty as trials resume next week, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has posted a video detailing the steps the court is taking to protect jurors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Purdue’s online law school achieves California accreditation
Concord Law School at Purdue University Global, the online law school owned by Purdue University, has been fully accredited by the State Bar of California, enabling students to continue their legal studies without having to pass the Golden State’s First Year Law Students’ Exam.
Problems, complaints absent from remote bar exam
After a series of software failures, increasing anxiety and a quick pivot to another format, Indiana administered the state’s first remote bar exam Tuesday without an apparent glitch.
A brave new chapter: AI tackles legal writing
A well-written opinion or brief can change the course of legal thought, but while other parts of the practice of law have been upended by technology, the physical act of writing remains pretty much a job done by humans. However, new artificial intelligence software appears poised to rewrite the definition of writing.
Craig and Rulon: Technology keeps wheels of justice turning through COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged and changed how lawyers do business. Although law firms were considered essential businesses by Indiana’s stay-at-home orders, most lawyers responsibly transitioned their practices to remote working arrangements. This article focuses on how litigators used — and continue to use — technology to meet client needs and court deadlines.
Van Dame and Johnson: Finding, using social media evidence in personal injury cases
To a savvy litigator armed with best practices to avoid ethical violations and ensure admissibility, social media can be utilized as an effective tool to gather information throughout litigation, including trial.
Technical difficulties, high anxiety prevail during pandemic-era bar exam
Although the testing software was supposed to allow individuals to take the July 2020 Indiana Bar Exam while remaining safely in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the technology malfunctioned so badly that the Indiana Supreme Court will be forced to administer the test by relying on email and the applicants’ integrity.
Lawmakers grill 4 Big Tech CEOs but don’t land many blows
Congressional lawmakers finally got a chance to grill the CEOs of Big Tech over their dominance and allegations of monopolistic practices that stifle competition. But it’s unclear how much they advanced their goal of bringing some of the world’s largest companies to heel.