Your ISBA sections and committees are busy providing CLE and resources, planning events, and helping push the profession forward. Check in and see what they’ve been up to. If you have any section and/or committee updates you would like to share, send an email to Abigail Hopf at ahopf@inbar.org.

Who Knew Olives Were So Complex? Sections Sponsor Etiquette Dinner for 50 Maurer Students

Fifty law students, joined by nineteen ISBA members, picked up some new etiquette tips, put their networking skills into practice, and learned more about Indiana’s legal community. The students were led through a cocktail reception and dinner, learning how to juggle a plate and drink, which way to pass a bread basket, how to properly eat soup, and more. Throughout the evening, they also have the opportunity to chat with practicing attorneys at their table and around the room to learn more about the practice, gain advice on law school, and really see what it means to be a lawyer. Afterwards, the students were invited to join the Young Lawyers Section for an informal social, where they could continue their conversations…without the stress of trying to eat a pitted olive properly.

“I enjoyed talking to attorneys in a more natural setting,” one of the students shared. “They really helped me with what to expect for the rest of law school and my career.”

“The bar group here is incredibly warm and rooting for us.”

This event consistently creates value for both the law students and the volunteers who attend the etiquette dinner with them. So a huge shoutout to the sections who help make it possible:

• Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights
  
• Elder Law
• Employment, Labor & Benefits Law
• Environmental Law
• Family & Juvenile Law
• General Practice, Solo & Small Firm
• Health Law
• Litigation
• Probate, Trust & Real Property
• Taxation
• Utility Law
• Young Lawyers

Let Me Pick Your Brain: New Approaches and Ideas from Other Sections and Committees

Our groups are constantly finding ways to bring value to their members and better represent them. Here are some approaches that sections used in the past couple of months.

Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights: ISBA’s Bankruptcy Section, like many groups, represents members on both sides of the practice—debtors, creditors, attorneys who represent individuals, and attorneys who represent institutions—which can be challenging to manage when it comes time to preparing legislative position statements for the section as a whole. To facilitate that process, the section drafted a legislative policy that includes a step-by-step procedure for how to create a position statement that best represents all categories of their membership. You can view their full legislative policy here »

Litigation: To provide further value to their members, the Litigation Section bought 20 tickets to the 2023 ISBA Judicial Reception. The council offered the tickets complimentary to the first 20 section members who were interested in attending, giving them the opportunity to meet with judges and justices and further interact with Litigation Section members.

Agricultural Law: A few members of the Agricultural Law Section went back to the basics in terms of identifying what opportunities and benefits members wanted from their section. To help reinvigorate the group, they started holding low obligation virtual brainstorming sessions, where any section member could join and share their thoughts on topics like virtual vs. in-person learning and connections opportunities. (If you’re a section member and interested in joining future sessions, email Leah Baker at lbaker@inbar.org.)

Affiliate Membership Offers Third Annual Paralegal Symposium

The Affiliate Membership Committee is putting on their third annual Paralegal Symposium, a six-hour seminar developed exclusively for paralegals by paralegals. The symposium is designed to help paralegals thrive in their careers and provide training on essential skills in one spot. This year, topics covered will include ethics issues for paralegals in particular, technology tips and tricks (including Microsoft and other office technology), social media eDiscovery, and how to create an authentic personal brand. Sessions will be held virtually on May 11 and 12, 2023. Learn more here »

Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Provide Extern Stipend

We all remember the challenge of balancing a law school tuition and other living expenses with a student budget, extracurricular activities, professional responsibilities, and your own peace of mind. To help make that balance a little easier for law students, the Bankruptcy Section offers a stipend to students externing at a U.S. bankruptcy court. Students interested in practicing bankruptcy or creditors’ rights law after graduation can apply for up to $1,000 to offset the cost of their judicial externship. This gives them more flexibility in exploring their professional interests and expanding their networks, without stressing about the financial drain in taking the externship in the first place. View the application form here »

Diversity Committee Sponsors 10th Annual Diversity Dinner

IU McKinney’s annual Diversity Dinner & Reception strives to bring together law students, attorneys, and other members of the Indianapolis community to connect and build relationships with individuals and organizations that promote and embrace diversity. The event, hosted by the IU McKinney Black Law Students Association, the Hispanic Law Society, the Asian Law Students Association, and the Lambda Law Society, also serves as a forum to discuss and reflect on current advocacy work in the community. ISBA’s Diversity Committee is a proud sponsor for the 10th annual dinner. This year’s theme is Advocacy in Action, with keynote speaker Rupal Thanawala, recipient of the Jefferson Award for Multiplying Good in 2022 for her work in central Indiana. Learn more »

General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Opens Registration for the 2023 Solo & Small Firm Conference

Registration for the 2023 SSFC is now open! The Solo & Small Firm Conference is put on annually by the General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section to bring together Indiana’s solo and small firm attorneys for structured and unstructured connection opportunities, business development, and professional resources. This year’s conference will include an opening keynote featuring Chief Justice Rush, Justice Massa, Justice Slaughter, and Justice Molter; CLE sessions, including an Appeals on Wheels Oral Argument; speed networking events; well-being sessions and social activities; and more. You can learn more about the conference and register at www.inbar.org/ssfc.

And did you know that several ISBA sections (Young Lawyers, Litigation, and Probate to name a few) offer scholarships for members of their section to attend the conference for free? Each scholarship includes two nights at French Lick Resort plus conference registration. Applications are open until April 3. View available scholarships »

Tax Section Names Scholarship After Judge Wentworth

In honor of Indiana Tax Court Judge Martha Wentworth, and to encourage law students to enter the practice of tax law, the Tax Section has introduced the Judge Martha Blood Wentworth Excellence in Tax Scholarship. The award is an annual nonrenewable scholarship, worth a minimum of $1,000, granted to a student enrolled in an Indiana ABA accredited law school to help with their financial needs. Winners will be selected based on their merit, scholarship performance, demonstrated experience, and interest in the field of tax law. The scholarship application is currently open until May 1. View application »

Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee Provided Comments on Self-Help Legal Guide

Last year, at the request of the Coalition for Court Access, the UPL Committee reviewed and provided comments on a legal information guide. The guide seeks to better clarify what counts as legal information and legal advice, to assist nonlawyer intermediaries (including librarians, social workers, case managers, etc.) in answering questions posed by a member of the public about the operation of the judicial process. It was created after the court’s Family Law Task Force recommended a legal information guide to help assist court personnel in responding to the increase of self-represented litigants in courts across the state. The Coalition for Court Access sought comments on the guide from the UPL Committee and other groups last year and has voted to approve the guide, which will be shared with legal navigators soon.

Utility Law Section Hosts Spring Seminar

Each year, the Utility Law Section hosts two seminars designed to (1) bring together regulatory law practitioners across multiple industries, and (2) provide relevant updates that double as all the CLE requirements members need for their yearly cycle. The 2023 Spring Seminar will be held at the NCAA Hall of Champions and will feature updates from Indiana commissions and this year’s legislative session, practice tips, and information on recent industry innovations (including nuclear energy). Learn more and/or register »

On-Demand CLE Added to the ISBA Library

The following sections and committees added virtual CLE to the ISBA’s on-demand library. Missed the CLE in action, or want to get ahead on your 2023 requirements? Check them out!

The Pro Bono Committee released recordings from their 2022 Talk to a Lawyer prep CLE series, including

• Best Practices: Working with Non-English Speakers. View CLE »
• Best Practices: Working with Clients Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. View CLE »
• Working with Tenants of Federally-Subsidized Rentals. View CLE »
• Dementia-Informed Advocacy. View CLE »
• VA Benefits Overview. View CLE »
• Family-Based Immigration 101: A Brief Overview of the Process. View CLE »
• Garnishment of Social Security Benefits. View CLE »