What have ISBA sections and committees been up to in the past month? Check out some interesting projects, plans, and solutions. If you have any updates you’d like to share (related to ISBA sections and committees, volunteer projects, or related organizations), let us know! Send an email to ahopf@inbar.org. 

 

Getting Involved and Staying Involved – Children’s Rights Committee

It’s hard to stay informed of incoming legislation or ongoing advocacy issues outside of the legislative session. And it can leave some groups feeling out of the loop. But the Children’s Rights Committee tackled the problem head on and made a conscious decision to keep themselves informed by getting involved with state agencies. During their February meeting, members identified task forces of interest under Indiana’s Commission on Improving the Status of Children (CISC) and volunteered one member each to sit in on the various committees. This way, members could easily monitor what CISC was doing, report important decisions or issues back to the committee, and stay involved with children’s rights beyond the legislative session.

 

Keeping a Close Eye on DEI in the State – Diversity Committee

If you didn’t already know, the Diversity Committee has been maintaining a repository of diversity resources on ISBA’s website. Articles, training, references (and yes, even CLE!) are all accessible to help members be more informed, learn about a specific diversity topic, or broaden their perspectives. 

Members also make a conscious effort to update each other on interesting resources or programs they’ve come across in between meetings. For example, in February the committee compared ways they and other organizations celebrate diversity holidays to see if they could come up with new approaches. Check out this Diversity Calendar to learn about different holidays celebrated across the country (and access resources that explain their history and/or significance more). 

The Diversity Committee is also offering their Rabb Emison award. The award recognizes both an individual and an organization who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting diversity and/or equality in the legal profession. Past winners have developed opportunities for lawyers of color, provided leadership to young BIPOC attorneys and law students, and helped supplement professional development opportunities. Nominations will be opening in mid-March, so think about which individual or organization you’d like to honor and keep an eye out for the nomination form!

 

Educating the ISBA – Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Committee

SOGI is helping to bridge the gap between issues young LGBTQ+ individuals are facing and the legal profession. Working with Kathleen Bensberg, a staff attorney with the LGBT Project at Indiana Legal Services, Inc. and Stephanie Chey-Sluss with Kids’ Voice of Indiana, SOGI is putting on a free CLE addressing discrimination against transgender and gender expansive youth, gender marker changes, parental rights proceedings, and more. They’ll provide best practices and guidance for any attorney working with transgender youth, or for any individual who wants to be more informed about LGBTQ+ issues. Interested? The virtual CLE will be on March 24, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. E.T. Register here.

 

Bridging the Bench and Bar – Women in the Law Committee

Someone’s celebrating a big 2-0. This weekend, the Women in the Law Committee will be holding their 20th Annual Women’s Bench Bar Retreat in Plymouth, Indiana. WBBR is designed to be an intimate, fun, nontypical community-building event. A mix of CLE, potluck dinners, and massages, it brings together attorneys, judges, and legal professionals from across the state to not only network but to build a system of support. (Want to get a close-up look of what WBBR is all about? Read our interview with Amy Noe Dudas, ISBA president elect and a long-time WBBR attendee).

The committee also felt it important to encourage participation from young lawyers and law students. In pursuit of that, they sponsored three scholarships to pay for registration: Jacqueline Van Der Way (a 3L at Maurer planning to start in private practice before entering the public service sector), Arantxa Recarte (a 1L at Maurer interested in human rights law and public interest), and Jenna Austin (a YLS member and associate attorney at Wooton Hoy, LLC).

 

Staying Updated Across the State, and Celebrating When We Can – Criminal Justice Section

In every Criminal Justice meeting, members from across the state share updates on COVID and how it’s impacting the courts in their area. The overall trend? Most county courts are planning to start back up in-person trials soon, but problems with short staffing are likely to continue for a while. Being able to discuss updates from across the state not only gives the chance for members to hear struggles others are facing, but also pinpoints issues the section should be aware of and potentially act on. Especially as it concerns criminal justice issues.

Members also took a moment to celebrate what’s going well in the legal field. Their highlights? Work in DEI. Including We the People, the Indiana Bar Foundation’s intentional efforts to help low-income high schools across the state start mock trial programs, and the Perspectives from Black Judges & Justices of Indiana’s Appellate Court CLE held at the start of February.

 

Rethinking Strategic Goals – Employment, Labor & Benefits Law Section

With the start of every new year comes planning, strategizing, and outlining of new goals and projects. When putting together their goals and action items for the year, Employment, Labor & Benefits took an innovative approach. The council compared their section’s past programs to the four pillars of ISBA’s strategic plan. Were they meeting all the pillars? Which were they engaging with the most often? Where could they make concentrated efforts to improve? They then brainstormed ideas under each pillar, identifying projects that excited the council, moved their section forward, and provided value to their members.

Some highlights? Video introductions from each council member, to help strengthen connections and bridge the gap between the section and council. Alternative venue or distance CLEs. Service projects. Brown bag CLEs. An updated newsletter. And a whole lot more.

 

Putting Service at the Forefront – Family & Juvenile Law Section

Family Law is putting service at their center this year. A prime example? Their statewide service day with a twist. Instead of trying to get all their members to travel to Indy to volunteer with one organization, the section is going to host multiple volunteer opportunities throughout the state, all on the same day. Three heads – in northern, southern, and central Indiana – will set up service opportunities in their area, open for any nearby members to join. They’ll also identify other organizations, food banks, and service opportunities across the state, where individuals who aren’t able to travel or who don’t have a group project nearby can donate their time. By breaking apart projects like this, the section can both increase involvement with their members and make an impactful difference in communities around the state.

The section has also opened nominations for the Gale Phelps Award. The award, named after former chair Gale M. Phelps, honors an attorney who’s worked to elevate the standards of professionalism in family law – from providing outstanding service to the profession to displaying a high moral character. If you know of an exceptional figure in family law, please nominate them for the award. 

 

Prepping for a Statewide Conference: When the Work’s All Done – General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section

It’s always great when a yearlong planning process finally comes to fruition. Registration for the 2022 Solo & Small Firm Conference is officially open! SSFC is the largest gathering of solo and small firm attorneys in Indiana, and it requires a lot of preparation, planning, negotiation, and work on behalf of the SSFC planning committee – from gathering CLE and keynote speakers, to creating opportunities for members to connect with each other and finding the right vendors who can help attorneys develop a more efficient practice. Yet its payoffs are immense. But why take it from me? I’ll let Justice Steven David key you in on why SSFC deserves such celebration!

The section has also opened nominations for the General Practice Hall of Fame Award. The award honors any outstanding members whose careers have served as models for lawyers in the general, solo, and small firm practice of law. If you know someone who portrays a high level of service to their clients, the profession, and their community, please nominate them! Nominations close on March 15, 2022.

 

Noteworthy Speakers – Litigation Section

Litigation is upping the bar this year in terms of CLE and bringing in a national speaker to educate the membership, start conversations, and increase engagement. Check out “An Afternoon with Kenneth Feinberg” on April 1. Feinberg, a national leading mediator in victim compensation claims, was responsible for designing and administering the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. He also helped administer victim compensation funds for the 2008 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, the 2016 Pulse nightclub tragedy in Orlando, and (a little closer to home) consulted for the 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse. Learn more and register here.