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

Section and Committee Leaders Discuss Leadership Funnels

Every quarter, your section and committee leaders meet to share ideas, problem-solve solutions to common challenges, and discuss best practices for providing member value. This July, leaders focused on the importance of filling their leadership funnel.

As ISBA Executive Director Joe Skeel shared, a strong leadership funnel is vital to maintaining momentum and creating lasting change. So it’s important to make it a priority, to be intentional, and to designate someone to find potential leaders and bring them into the fold. Leah Baker, section and committee manager, shared some other strategies and considerations chairs should keep in mind—from ensuring there’s diversity among the council (whether that be in gender, practice type, geographic area, or race) to how leaders can both build interest among their broader membership and identify potential emerging leaders. Andrea Townsend, former chair of the ISBA Litigation Section, reflected those strategies with stories from her own experience building the section’s leadership funnel.

Diversity Committee Writes Cover Story in July/August Res Gestae

In 2022, Representative Vanessa Summers introduced the CROWN Act (HB 1177) to the Indiana General Assembly in an attempt to eliminate discrimination “based on traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles.” Though the bill ultimately died in committee, it set a precedent for conversations at the state and national level on what it means to be a professional and exist in your full humanity. A question the Diversity Committee was set on answering.

Taylor Ray Cook, Raymond P. Dudlo, and Rhea Jones-Price (on behalf of the Diversity Committee) discuss the CROWN Act, why it’s necessary, and the importance of creating affirming spaces for Hoosiers to live and work in, in their Res Gestae article. “How did you fix your hair this morning?” they write. “Did you use a shampoo to increase your hair's volume? Maybe some gel or paste? Ponytail, swept to the side, or perhaps a straight part and a hopeful hiding of your cowlick...But have you ever found yourself getting ready in the morning and wondering if your hair—the hair you were born with—would get you fired or denied a job?” Read "Knots, Locs, and Law: A Legal and Social Perspective on the CROWN Act and the Right to Wear Natural Hair" »

Family Law Awards 2023 Nanette K. Raduenz Award

The Family & Juvenile Law Section awarded the 2023 Nanette K. Raduenz Award to Hon. Andrew R. Bloch, magistrate judge with the Hamilton Circuit and Superior Court.

The Nanette K. Raduenz Award is given every other year to a judicial officer who has gone above and beyond to improve the judiciary. Magistrate Bloch was recognized for his activity both in the ISBA Family Law Section and in other organizations across the family law field. He has served on several boards and committees, presented at numerous seminars, and helped revise family law guidelines. “He commands respect and decorum in his courtroom by example, not by words,” one of his nominators shared. “Magistrate Bloch continue[s] to show family law—and, more importantly, the children, parents, and spouses involved in family law cases—great respect.” Mag. Bloch will be presented the award at the Judicial Conference on September 14. 

Litigation Section Hosting 2023 Litigation Symposium

The Litigation Section opened registration for the 2023 Litigation Symposium. This year the symposium focuses on communication—in the courtroom, before the jury, and between colleagues. Three high-profile speakers will share their best practices for identifying and persuading audiences, mastering nonverbal communication, and using communication to build strong relationships with colleagues, clients, judges, opposing counsel, and jury members. Sessions will be offered both in-person and virtually. Speakers include Sam Ardery (an Indiana attorney with more than 30 years of experience in litigation and negotiation), Andrew Caple-Shaw (a licensed attorney and working actor who takes an acting-based approach to trial skills), and Paul Lisnek (a political analyst, trial consultant, and television anchor who knows all about maintaining composure under difficult circumstances). Learn more and register »

Law Practice Management Committee Sunset, Launch of New LPM Online Community

In January 2023, the ISBA Board of Governors voted to sunset the Law Practice Management (LPM) Committee and give responsibility for curating and providing LPM resources to the General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section. The section created an LPM subcommittee in May with the goal to, through education, downloadable resources, an online community, and connection opportunities, provide ISBA members the tools they need to keep their practices thriving.

As the first stage of their work, the subcommittee launched the Law Practice Management Online Community—an email distribution list similar to your sections’ listservs designed for members to discuss law practice management and the business of running a practice. Conversations on everything from human resources and staff retention to accounting and billing to the life cycle of a law practice will be covered. Any ISBA member is invited to join, ask questions, and add to the conversation. Learn more and join the online community »

Membership Committee Updates Paralegal Requirements

The ISBA Board of Governors approved a recommendation from the Membership Committee to amend its current policy regarding paralegal membership. Previously, Indiana paralegals who wanted to be members of the ISBA had to be employed as a paralegal, have a certification or education in paralegal studies, be sponsored by an attorney, and attend 18 hours of CLE every three years. With the rise in paralegals across Indiana and a desire to further distinguish the Indiana Registered Paralegal program, however, the committee voted to soften those requirements to allow more paralegals to join the ISBA.

The new requirements remove the need for education or certification credentials and change CLE requirements for existing members. Five years of work experience will now qualify individuals for paralegal membership (as long as they are still sponsored by an attorney and meet the definition of a paralegal). And instead of attending 18 hours CLE every three years, paralegal members need only three hours (including one hour of Ethics) per year.

More information on how to apply for paralegal membership under the new requirements will be coming soon.

Probate, Trust & Real Property Section Sponsors Etiquette Dinners

The Probate Section voted to donate $1,470 to sponsor the 2024 series of etiquette dinners. ISBA has partnered with all three Indiana law schools to offer programs that guide students in professional networking. The programs begin with a cocktail hour, followed by a business dinner. Students are led through each scenario by an etiquette instructor and learn everything from how to initiate conversations to more etiquette-specific tasks like which fork to use. But the real power in these programs comes from the ISBA volunteers who join in on the etiquette training and who give law students a chance to connect with practicing attorneys, learn more about the profession, and potentially gain job or internship opportunities down the road.

Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Committee Sponsors Indiana Benefit

The SOGI Committee is a Liberty Circle Sponsor for Lambda Legal’s annual Indiana Benefit. The Indiana Benefit has been raising funds to support Lambda Legal’s civil rights work since 1999, and it is one of the largest LGBTQ events in the state, bringing together more than 300 advocates and allies. This year, the benefit will be held on September 8 at the Indiana State Museum.

Utility Law Section Hosting Fall 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 Fall Seminar will look at a variety of topics, including civility, photovoltaics, cryptocurrency, cybersecurity and physical security, and more. Learn more and register »

Let Me Pick Your Brain: A Low-Down on High-Quality Events

Planning a high-quality CLE that brings value to section or committee members can be difficult. But keep these tips from recent events in mind:

1. Don’t be afraid to dive into the nitty-gritty. Knowing what topic to address is the first hurdle in any CLE planning. While it can be tempting to do a basic or introductory level CLE, to catch the largest audience, focusing exactly on what your audience needs to know at the level they need to know it in can create better-performing CLE. The Probate, Trust & Real Property and Elder Law Sections recently took this approach with a CLE on P.L. 38-2023, regarding new statutory forms and procedures for guardianships. A narrow focus, with detailed takeaways and discussion topics, led to over 230 registrations.
2. If you don’t know, ask. If you want to plan out a relevant CLE but don’t know what topics are top of mind, just ask your members. The Senior Lawyers Section tried this with their Preparing for Retirement CLE. Before identifying speakers and topics, the council invited members to jump on a Zoom meeting and tell the council directly what challenges they faced, what questions they had, and what concerns kept them up at night. The council then took this conversation and planned their program entirely around those concerns.
3. Think outside of the box. Sometimes the typical CLE structure—with a single speaker or a panel presenting in front of an audience—isn’t the best option. Perhaps an article on the topic makes more sense, like the Diversity Committee did with the CROWN Act. The Family & Juvenile Law Section is hosting a town hall, where members are invited to join a speaker in conversation, sharing ideas, asking questions, and together forming opinions on recently proposed guidelines. Or consider hybrid approaches that combine traditional learning with workshops, like the Appellate Section is doing for their writing skills seminar (where designated speakers will teach skills in plenary sessions, then supervise attendees as they put those skills into practice).

On-Demand CLE Added to the ISBA Library

The following CLE were added to ISBA’s on-demand library. Missed them in action? Check them out now—virtually and at your convenience!

• Behind the Scenes at the United States Tax Court: Q&A with Judge Patrick Urda (Presented by the Tax Section) View CLE »
• Legislative Updates from IDEM (Presented by the Environmental Law Section) View CLE »
• Post-Conviction Relief Ethics for Defense Lawyers, Prosecutors, and Judges (Presented by the Criminal Justice Section) View CLE »
• 2023 Legislative Rundown. View CLE »