John Huldin and William Sweet: Opportunities, risks in a changing EPA enforcement universe
The memo boils down to a complete realignment of OECA’s mechanisms relying on a “compliance first” lodestar to shape all of its actions.
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Melissa A. Hamer: Water in Indiana: Rights, wells, and a thirst for regulation
Fast-forward to today, and the idea of just taking water because you can mostly has disappeared into a tangle of laws.
David McGimpsey and Andrew Rankin: Clean energy enters new era under Opportunity Zone Program
Under the OBBBA, the Opportunity Zone Program will see nuanced changes implemented on a rolling basis until Dec. 31.
Lauren Aguilar: Energy planning should balance reliability, affordability
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act accelerated the phaseout or termination of certain energy tax credits added by the Inflation Reduction Act.
Rodney R. Nordstrom: The future of automated justice: Could AI replace juries?
Ongoing experimentation with newer agenic and synthetic jurors needs to be further studied.
Lindsay A. Llewellyn: Lawyers can become first responders for financial distress
These signals appear in the ordinary course of legal work but require deliberate observation to detect.
Allison DeSantis: Indiana introduces stricter business filing rules to combat fraud
It’s essential for businesses operating within the state to take notice of these changes.
Dunn: Mitigating risk today requires ongoing risk governance
Last year presented organizations with a variety of new issues coupled with uncertainty. The year taught hard lessons and reinforced the critical need to adapt.
Schumann: Residential transfer reporting rule takes effect March 1
On Aug. 29, 2024, FinCEN published the rule with the start date for real estate transactions beginning March 1.
Hammond and Shublak: Ensuring our decisions bend toward the common good
While coastal cities may dismiss us as flyover, we continue to produce the residents, workers, soldiers, athletes and executives who make the world run.
Dreyer: Violence against judges leads to broad disorder
If judges are seen just like any other social adversary trying to fight others over an issue, then the public might be less likely to understand their true work as arbitrators and problem-solvers.
Norris: Have you hugged your lobbyist today? They’re the experts.
With so many important issues being considered in such a condensed time frame, isn’t it comforting to know that a trained governmental affairs professional is watching your back?
Graham: The kind of goodwill no marketing budget can buy
Can your escrow account actually enhance your goodwill? Absolutely. There’s hidden value in how we handle our clients’ funds.
Wilson: Microsoft tips: Solving Word’s automatic numbering issues
One of the most frustrating parts of Microsoft Word is its automatic behavior control, or ABC, feature as it relates to numbering.
Mizzell: From relief to reckoning—bankruptcy trends to watch in 2026
Although it is probably surprising to most, the pandemic and the related inflation did not give rise to a huge explosion in bankruptcy filings.
Stafford: Crooked Lake, St. Joe judicial bill merits a veto
A parade of attorneys from Lake and St. Joe counties testified against House Bill 1453. Most spoke in disbelief that this was happening without any prior consideration. They explained why they had taken their time and traveled all the way down to Indianapolis, some twice, to tell lawmakers why this is a bad idea and why the current judicial nominating system works. It was enough to give any reasonable person pause. But this is the Indiana Legislature we’re talking about.
Bont: White collar update — Walmart pharmacy defense plays offense
Walmart took issue with the government’s assertion that national pharmacy chains are required to analyze and share prescribing data across its stores and with line pharmacists. After waiting four years for the government to initiate legal proceedings, Walmart took the offensive and filed a declaratory judgment action in the Eastern District of Texas. In essence, Walmart alleged to the court that the government was creating and enforcing laws that did not exist.
Stafford: A veteran of Indiana GOP politics looks on, shakes his head
I asked former three-term Indiana Attorney General Linley Pearson, if you were a younger person today, would you run for office? He didn’t hesitate. “There’s no question today I could not be in politics,” he said. “It’s just totally changed, and it’s not very attractive to me. … If you want to exaggerate or malign a person, you could always do that, but do you want to do that?”
Betz: Lawmakers propose ‘radical’ bid to reshape judicial selection
By initiating a constitutional amendment based on misinformation, three Indiana Republican state senators, now joined by multiple others, have proposed a radical resolution to eliminate citizen involvement in the retention vote of appellate judges, changing the current selection process that has been in place for 50 years. This proposal also severely decreases judicial independence and increases the political pressure on our state’s appellate judiciary. Indeed, if successful, the proposal would give the legislative branch far greater control over the Indiana state appellate judges and justices. It would also further embed in Indiana’s Constitution more systemic racism.
Dreyer: On our oath: ‘Judge, will you swear me in, please?’
Despite serious travails during our history, presidential inaugurations seem to allow for a pause and some national confidence. Noting this recently, it is perhaps well that we set briefly aside our current concerns and allow some reflection to lighten us up and to observe the critical importance of the judicial branch.