INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 10, 2024) – Hoosiers needing answers to legal questions are invited to a free legal consultation during the Indiana State Bar Association’s annual “Talk to a Lawyer Today” on Jan. 15, 2024. Consultations are provided in-person throughout the state, virtually, or via local county hotlines. Attorneys will also be answering questions submitted through Indiana Free Legal Answers.

Examples of topics that may be covered include:

• Bankruptcy
  
• Child support
  
• Complaints against a city
  
• Contract disputes
  
• Divorce
  
• Employment issues
  
• Healthcare
  
• Immigration
  
• Landlord-tenant issues
  
• Long-term care facilities
  
• Mental health treatment
  
• School law
  
• Small claims
  
• Social security
  
• Wills and estates
  

Attorneys are not able to advise on criminal cases.

Consultations typically are 15-20 minutes. Many legal issues are complicated, but we’ll do our best to point Hoosiers in the right direction. We’ll give suggestions about next steps, which forms to complete, the right government agency to contact, resources, etc.

Hoosiers will leave with a general plan for solving their issue. They likely won’t leave with their issue completely solved. Attorneys are not able to file forms on Hoosiers' behalf or maintain an ongoing relationship.

To get the most out of their free legal consultation, we recommend Hoosiers be prepared with their specific questions already written down. Volunteer attorneys work hard to answer every person’s questions, so the quicker they are able to ask their question, the more time the attorney will have to provide an answer.

Please help share this information with the general public who may benefit from free legal counsel. Walk-in locations and call-in phone numbers will be published at www.inbar.org/consultation.

About the Indiana State Bar Association:
Founded in 1896, the Indiana State Bar Association is the largest legal organization in the state. The ISBA serves and advocates on behalf of its members, their clients and the public interest as the independent voice of the legal profession. The ISBA’s office is located in downtown Indianapolis. For more information about the Indiana State Bar Association, visit www.inbar.org.

• Rani Amani, Indiana Supreme Court, Indianapolis
• Kathleen Boaz, Church Church Hittle + Antrim, Carmel
• Caroline Brinster, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP, Jasper
• Anthony Carreri, Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP, Carmel
• Annie Chey-Sluss, Cummins Inc., Indianapolis
• Ritu Chokshi, Chugh LLP, Carmel
• Kaylin Cook, Paganelli Law Group, Carmel
• Janelle Cooper, May Oberfell Lorber, Mishawaka
• Cynthia Forbes, Indiana State Police, Indianapolis
• Elaine Griffin, Bennett Boehning & Clary, Lafayette
• Kelsey Hancewicz, Wright, Shagley & Lowery PC, Terre Haute
• Maxwell Happe, Pro Bono Indiana, Inc., Evansville
• Melissa Keyes, Indiana Disability Rights, Carmel
• Angelus Kocoshis, Blackford County, Muncie
• Robert Langer, Langer & Langer, Valparaiso
• Michael Licari, Bonahoom & Bobilya, LLC, Fort Wayne
• Megan Little, Indiana Department of Correction, Fishers
• Britney McMahan, Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Zionsville
• Greg Pachmayr, Indiana Supreme Court, Brownsburg
• Katherine Piscione, Waldron Tate Bowen Land LLC, Indianapolis
• Sundeep Singh, RileyCate LLC, Fishers
• Andrew Thomas, Indiana Legal Services Inc., Fort Wayne
• Audrey Van Gilder, Fletcher Van Gilder, LLP, Fort Wayne
• Abbee Vetter, Sprunger & Sprunger, Angola
• Adam Zacher, Gutwein Law, Indianapolis

About the Indiana State Bar Association

Founded in 1896, the Indiana State Bar Association is the single largest legal organization in the state. The ISBA empowers members to thrive professionally and personally through advocacy, education, and connections. The ISBA’s office is located in downtown Indianapolis. For more information about the Indiana State Bar Association, visit www.inbar.org.

To the Indiana Supreme Court:

The Indiana State Bar Association respectfully offers the following feedback on the proposed amendments to the Admission and Discipline Rules providing Indiana with a detailed waiver provision that sets out a path for otherwise qualified law school graduates to sit for the Indiana bar exam.

The Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) supports the proposed amendments to Rule 13 (Educational Requirements for Admission to Examination).

ISBA believes these changes have the potential to increase the availability of proficient lawyers in Indiana while still ensuring a qualified entity vets the candidates petitioning to sit for the exam.

ISBA submitted comments in April opposing proposed amendments to Rules 6 (Admission on Foreign License), 13 (Educational Requirements for Admission to Examination), and 17.1 (Admission by Transferred Uniform Bar Examination Score) of the Admission and Discipline Rules. Those proposed changes were different than the current proposal.

The comments ISBA submitted to the court in April included: “Without confirming that all such entities’ standards align with what we in Indiana consider crucial to providing a high quality legal education and that all such entities have a robust procedure for monitoring accreditation compliance, we do not support allowing graduates of law schools accredited by those other entities to sit for the Indiana bar.”

Although the current proposal doesn’t include a specific provision for Indiana accreditation, the ISBA believes it succeeds in providing a sufficient vetting process. Indiana's Board of Law Examiners has long been the gatekeeper for minimum competency of Indiana attorneys. Relying on this board to review requests from otherwise qualified law school graduates would be an effective solution to ensuring that candidates are adept in legal practice, helping to maintain a more proficient legal community.

Thank you for considering these comments,

Hon. Thomas J. Felts
Indiana State Bar Association President
Fort Wayne

Indianapolis (Nov. 22, 2023) – The Indiana State Bar Association is pleased to announce a partnership with Modern Information Solutions (MIS), an IT services firm focused on the legal industry. The partnership provides ISBA members with up to a 20 percent per-person discount on Legal Help Desk monthly plans for the firms of all ISBA members.

“We’re in an era where technology is constantly reshaping the landscape of our profession,” said Joe Skeel, ISBA Executive Director. “ISBA partnered with MIS because of their deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities technology provides law firms. MIS takes a proactive approach to ensuring their clients have intuitive technology that doesn’t just work for their practice—it enhances it. In the past six months of using MIS as ISBA’s IT services provider, our staff has been thrilled with the immediacy that MIS responds to technology needs as well as their expert ability to help staff streamline their everyday processes.”

“Attorneys need to be able to practice law in the most efficient way possible and rely on technology working at all hours,” said Tino Marquez, Partner at MIS. “We take a proactive approach to managing a firm’s infrastructure, protecting client data and attorney’s access to that data, and fixing inevitable technology glitches with the utmost urgency. We’re thrilled to partner with the ISBA and help provide Indiana attorneys with technology that enhances their practice.”

MIS provides a true legal helpdesk experience for small to medium size law firms. As a legal focused managed services provider, MIS offers cybersecurity, remote monitoring, vCIO services, and software training. Since 2009, MIS has provided law firms with a helpdesk that is designed after what attorneys and staff would experience in much larger law firms without in house IT personnel.  

Click here to learn more about MIS and see their pricing structure for ISBA members.

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Judge Felts is a certified Senior Judge affiliated with the Indiana Office of Court Services. He is a 1976 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received his law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1979. He worked for two law firms in Fort Wayne following graduation, becoming a partner with the Burt, Blee, Hawk & Sutton (now Burt, Blee, Dixon, Sutton & Bloom LLP) law firm in 1987.

Judge Felts was named magistrate of the Allen Circuit Court in October 1989 and served in that capacity until he was elected as judge of the Allen Circuit Court in 2002. He served three terms as judge, choosing not to seek re-election in 2020, and began his service as a certified senior judge on January 1, 2021.

Judge Felts has a long record of leadership and service both in the legal community as well as local and state organizations. He created and supervised three problem-solving courts and has been a frequent presenter for legal and judicial education. Prior to being elected as ISBA president, Judge Felts served on the organization’s Board of Governors for three terms. He has been a longtime board member of the Indiana Judges Association and served as its president from 2007 through 2009. He served three terms on the board of the Indiana Bar Foundation as well as three terms on the Board of the Indiana Judicial Conference. On the local level, Judge Felts has served on the boards of the Foellinger Foundation and St. Joseph Community Health Foundation in Fort Wayne as well as on the boards of the Fort Wayne Metro YMCA, Allen County Community Corrections, Allen County Public Records Commission, and Allen County Courthouse Preservation Trust.

Judge Felts’ honors include receiving the ISBA Outstanding Judge Award, being named the Notre Dame Club of Fort Wayne Person of the Year, and receiving the Indiana Lawyer Leadership in Law Distinguished Barrister Award. In December 2020, Judge Felts was honored by Governor Eric Holcomb with a Sagamore of the Wabash Award in recognition of his service to the state of Indiana.

Judge Felts has been married to Kathryn (Kay) Felts for 41 years and has three sons and three grandchildren.

Judge Felts succeeds Amy Noe Dudas of Dudas Law in Richmond, Ind. Michael Jasaitis, Crown Point, Ind. assumes the role as ISBA president-elect, and John Maley, Indianapolis was elected vice president during today’s Assembly Meeting.

ISBA’s new leadership team, as inducted by members is:

OFFICERS
President: Hon. Tom Felts, Fort Wayne 
President Elect: Michael Jasaitis, Crown Point 
Vice President: John Maley, Indianapolis 
Secretary: April Keaton, Indianapolis 
Treasurer: Hon. Stephanie Steele, Granger 
Counsel to the President: Jackie Pillar, Crown Point

BOARD OF GOVERNORS 
1st District: Steve Sersic, Munster 
2nd District: Barbra Stooksbury, Chesterton 
3rd District: Joe Fullenkamp, South Bend 
4th District: Hon. Frances Gull, Fort Wayne 
5th District: Patrick Jones, Lafayette 
6th District: Julia Kozicki, Noblesville 
7th District: Anne McFadden, Bloomington 
8th District: Raymond Dudlo, Evansville 
9th District: Derrick Wilson, New Albany 
10th District: Jim Williams, Muncie
11th District:

• Jane Dall Wilson, Indianapolis
  
• Joe Rompala, Indianapolis 
  
• Jimmie McMillan, Indianapolis 
  

At Large District: 

• Allyse Wirkkala, Indianapolis 
  
• Hon. Mike Witte, Nineveh 
  

Past President: Amy Noe Dudas, Richmond 
House of Delegates Chair: Séamus Boyce, Westfield 
House of Delegates Chair Elect: Hon. Elizabeth Bellin, Elkhart 
Young Lawyers Section Chair: Adrienne Rines Hammond, Marion 
Young Lawyers Section Observer: Matt Land, Indianapolis

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(Indianapolis, Wednesday, May 24, 2023) The Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) has launched the Indiana Pro Bono Academy and Resource Center, a hub designed to help train and connect Hoosier attorneys to pro bono opportunities. It is available at www.inbar.org/probonoacademy.

“In addition to being incredibly important for our community, we’re hearing more and more from ISBA members that pro bono is important for attorneys’ mental health and professional longevity,” said Amy Noe Dudas, ISBA President. “It allows attorneys to leverage their unique skillsets and work one-on-one with their community members, often providing more visible, immediate results than they see in their private practices. By making pro bono more accessible, the Indiana Pro Bono Academy and Resource Center is a new important tool for Indiana attorneys, and ultimately our entire community.”
 
The Indiana Pro Bono Academy and Resource Center supports volunteers in two ways:

1. Offers an entry point to pro bono
Attorneys often report that not knowing where to begin is a barrier to doing pro bono. Indiana has no shortage of pro bono providers and opportunities, which can make finding an entry point difficult for attorneys. The Indiana Pro Bono Academy and Resource Center helps by aggregating links to Indiana's major pro bono organizations’ websites.

2. Trains up attorneys on most relevant pro bono topics
Another barrier to pro bono is that many attorneys report not feeling “qualified” to provide legal guidance on topics outside their primary practice area. To help, the Indiana Pro Bono Academy and Resource Center offers a curated selection of on-demand CLE about the most common pro bono topics.

The ISBA would like to thank its partners from across the pro bono community for their assistance in developing the Pro Bono Academy and Resource Center.

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Media Contact
Kelsey Singh
ISBA Communication Director
Ksingh@inbar.org
317.639.5465, ext. 932 

To the Indiana Supreme Court:

The Indiana State Bar Association respectfully offers the following feedback on the proposed amendments to the Admission and Discipline Rules allowing graduates of non-ABA accredited law schools to sit for the Indiana bar exam.

The Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) opposes the proposed amendments to Rules 6 (Admission on Foreign License), 13 (Educational Requirements for Admission to Examination), and 17.1 (Admission by Transferred Uniform Bar Examination Score) of the Admission and Discipline Rules.

ISBA is not inherently opposed to online legal education, nor did this position come as a direct evaluation of Purdue Global’s Concord Law School – although public debate has largely focused on those issues.

ISBA’s opposition is rooted in its belief that a quality legal education is vital to the high-level practice of law, which better serves Indiana’s citizens. The best way to ensure quality and consistent legal education is through a reliable accreditation process. Indiana has no such independent process, nor does it have a body that evaluates the standards of non-ABA accreditation entities. Without confirming that all such entities’ standards align with what we in Indiana consider crucial to providing a high quality legal education and that all such entities have a robust procedure for monitoring accreditation compliance, we do not support allowing graduates of law schools accredited by those other entities to sit for the Indiana bar. 

ISBA understands that Indiana has an attorney shortage, especially in rural communities. It also understands that online legal education may be an affordable avenue for underrepresented populations. Online education is an increasing reality, and a carefully designed online law program may very well be of sufficient quality to meet other important accreditation standards. The ABA appears to be moving in that direction with its approval of certain hybrid J.D. programs as well as some recently approved fully online pilot programs associated with existing accredited law schools. 

In considering its position, ISBA solicited feedback on the proposed rule changes from its members and received numerous responses. The majority of members who shared feedback were overwhelmingly opposed to the proposed rule amendments for a variety of reasons. After deep research into the issue, a review of member feedback, and substantial discussion, the ISBA Board of Governors voted unanimously on April 14 to oppose the proposed amendments. 

In conclusion, unless and until Indiana puts resources in place to become an independent accreditor of law schools or creates a body to evaluate the accreditation standards of other states, the ISBA supports maintaining our reliance on the ABA’s accreditation standards and compliance monitoring. Therefore, we oppose the rule changes as proposed.

Thank you for considering these comments,

Amy Noe Dudas
Indiana State Bar Association President
Dudas Law, Richmond

The LDA program develops lawyers to be informed, committed, and involved so that they may be empowered as leaders throughout the Indiana community and in local and state bar associations, and seen as role models in matters of ethics and professionalism.

The 25 class members will participate in five multi-day sessions across the state, facilitated by experienced leadership professionals and prominent speakers, to inform participants about leadership principles and to help them chart their personal leadership path.

The members of the Leadership Development Academy Class of 2023 are:

• Waleed Abdalla, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Fishers
• Carita Austin, Cummins, Inc., Avon
• Scott Bieniek, Bieniek Law, P.C., Greencastle
• Nick Bognanno, Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP, Fishers
• Nell Collins, The Volunteer Lawyer Network, South Bend
• Adam Doerr, Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP, Indianapolis
• Andrea Ewan, Ewan Law Office, Aurora
• David Felts, Stucky, Lauer & Young, LLP, Fort Wayne
• Katlyn Foust Hunneshagen, May Oberfell Lorber, North Liberty
• Jaclyn Flint, Riley Bennett Egloff, LLP, Indianapolis
• Tanner Guthrie, Patterson Law LLC, Fort Wayne
• Lisa Hanna, Ernsberger & Helmer, Angola
• Eldin Hasic, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Fort Wayne
• Stephanie Kress, Rolfes, Garvey, Walker & Robbins, Greensburg
• Lindsay Llewellyn, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis
• Colleen Morrison, Indiana Supreme Court, Indianapolis
• Ashley Roncevic, Hollingsworth Roberts Mean, LLC, Carmel
• Allison Scarlott, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Indianapolis
• Arqeil Shaw, Ice Miller LLP, Indianapolis
• Ben Spandau, Waldron Tate Bowen Spandau, Martinsville
• Aaron Spolarich, Bennett Boehning & Clary LLP, Crawfordsville
• Spencer Tanner, Gutwein Law, Evansville
• Emily VanTyle, Wilson Kehoe Winingham LLC, Indianapolis
• Charles Westerhaus, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Zionsville
• Patty Xidias, Griffith Xidias Law Group LLC, Indianapolis
  

About the Indiana State Bar Association

Founded in 1896, the Indiana State Bar Association is the single largest legal organization in the state. The ISBA empowers members to thrive professionally and personally, through advocacy, education, and connections. The ISBA’s office is located in downtown Indianapolis. For more information about the Indiana State Bar Association, visit www.inbar.org.

Dudas received her law degree from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, and a bachelor of arts degree in English and French literature from Earlham College. She has been practicing law in Richmond ever since with a commitment to community advocacy.

Dudas has been actively involved with the Indiana State Bar Association since 2005. Her service includes as Board of Governors district representative; Counsel to the president; Treasurer; Annual Meeting Chair; Chair of the Legal Ethics Committee; Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee; Chair of the Leadership Development Academy; and Chair of the House of Delegates. She has also served on the Member and Member Benefits Committee and the Women in the Law Committee. She has volunteered with the ISBA’s Mentor Match program, which provides curriculum-based mentoring to young attorneys.

In addition, Dudas was a member of the Indiana Bar Foundation’s Board from 2012 to 2020, having served as Secretary and its President. She also served on the Indiana Pro Bono Commission and the District 9 Pro Bono Commission, having served as President.

In 2018, Dudas was appointed by Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Rush to serve on the 10-member Board of Law Examiners, which is responsible for the admission of attorneys to practice law in Indiana, reviewing applications and grading portions of the Indiana Bar Exam.

Dudas has served on many boards over the years; as Secretary and President of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra; as President of the Wayne County Foundation, as President of the Richmond Gymnastics Training Center, as Secretary and Vice Chair of the Earlham College Alumni Council, as Vice President for Birth-to-Five, and as a board member to Richmond-Wayne County Chamber of Commerce and the Whitewater Valley United Way.  

Dudas succeeds Clayton C. Miller of Indianapolis. Hon. Tom Felts, Fort Wayne, Ind. assumes the role as ISBA president-elect, and Michael Jasaitis, Crown Point, Ind. was elected vice president during today’s member assembly.

ISBA’s new leadership team, as inducted by members during the ISBA Annual Meeting is:

OFFICERS
President: Amy Noe Dudas, Richmond
President Elect: Hon. Tom Felts, Fort Wayne
Vice President: Michael Jasaitis, Crown Point
Secretary: Scott Wylie, Evansville
Treasurer: Tonya Bond, Indianapolis
Counsel to the President: Jim Williams, Muncie

BOARD OF GOVERNORS
1st District: Candace Williams, Gary
2nd District: Barbra Stooksbury, Chesterton
3rd District: Joe Fullenkamp, South Bend
4th District: Lindsay Lepley, Fort Wayne
5th District: Cliff Robinson, Rensselaer
6th District: Julia Kozicki, Carmel
7th District: Anne McFadden, Bloomington
8th District: Raymond Dudlo, Evansville
9th District: Derrick Wilson, New Albany
10th District: Melissa Cunnyngham, Frankfort

11th District:

• Colin Flora, Indianapolis
• Ann Sutton, Indianapolis
• Jimmie McMillian, Indianapolis
  

At Large District:

• Renee Ortega, Hammond
• Mike Witte, Nineveh
  

Past President: Clayton C. Miller, Indianapolis
House of Delegates Chair: Angka Hinshaw, Indianapolis
House of Delegates Chair Elect: Séamus Boyce, Indianapolis
Young Lawyers Section Chair: Brandon Tate, Indianapolis
Young Lawyers Section Observer: Adrienne Rines-Hammond, Marion

The Judicial Retention Poll asks ISBA members if, in their opinion, each Court of Appeals judge up for retention in the General Election should be retained (yes/no). Lawyers are uniquely qualified to evaluate members of the judiciary. Through the Judicial Retention Poll, ISBA members help Indiana voters make an informed decision about their vote to retain a judge.

ISBA members were electronically surveyed between Sept. 5 and Sept. 30. 

The yes/no retention results of the judges are as follows:

• Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Paul D. Mathias: Yes-87% No-12%
  
• Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Nancy H. Vaidik: Yes-85% No-14%
  
• Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Leanna K. Weissmann: Yes-85% No-14%
  

Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges face an approval vote in the first general election that occurs at least two years after their appointment, and every 10 years thereafter. There are no Supreme Court judges up for retention in this year’s election. Indiana voters will have an opportunity to cast their ballot concerning the judges’ retention next month.

Additional information about Indiana's Judicial Retention System here: www.in.gov/courts/about/retention.

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Media Contact: Kelsey Singh, ksingh@inbar.org

Presenters will be asked to assist with:

• Helping class members build rapport with each other in a natural way
  
• Providing high quality leadership education based on modern practices and theories 
  
• Facilitating dynamic, engaging conversations between class members 
  
• Offering interactive activities that aid in learning and relationship building
  
• Attending a pre-session meeting with the LDA staff and committee 
  

Legal experience is not a requirement.

Responses should be submitted by Aug. 31, 2022.

Click here to download the RFP.

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About LDA
The ISBA Leadership Development Academy (LDA) prepares the next generation of leaders among Indiana’s legal professionals. The program brings together a cohort of about 20 attorneys who attend five multi-day sessions throughout the state.

LDA has developed attorneys for over a decade. Today, LDA alumni are leading the ISBA and serving as judges, corporate leaders, firm managing partners, and nonprofit and private sector board members. More importantly, they are leading their communities while staying true to their personal goals and values.

About ISBA
As the largest legal organization in Indiana, the Indiana State Bar Association empowers its members (lawyers, judges, paralegals, law librarians, law students, and court administrators) to thrive professionally and personally. It works to find solutions to members’ professional challenges, connect them with others in the profession across the state, and advocate on behalf of the profession.

“The conclusion of our lease afforded ISBA the opportunity to take a fresh look at the ways in which the amount and configuration of our office spaces allows us to efficiently serve our members,” said ISBA President Clayton C. Miller. “Our new streamlined headquarters in the Capital Center offers members enhanced opportunities to convene and connect in a convenient central location while still providing flexible offices for our staff to continue their work on behalf of our membership.”

About the new office

The new headquarters is designed as a gathering space for members. From its custom-configured suite on the 12^th floor of the Capital Center’s south tower the ISBA will be able to host mid-sized networking events, CLE, and section/committee meetings. Members can reserve individual offices within the headquarters free of charge for their personal or ISBA-related business: to work during the day, host client meetings or hang out between downtown business meetings. 

The Capital Center is also home to Indiana Supreme Court offices and is within walking distance of the Indiana Statehouse and the Birch Bayh Federal Building. It has several public spaces designed for casual meeting and working.

Learn more about the building here.

About the selection process

The Capital Center location was selected after an initial study, touring, and vetting by a taskforce made up of volunteer members, which began by identifying members’ needs for a headquarters office. The Capital Center was selected for its modern amenities, flexible space, and competitive pricing.

Brief office closure

ISBA staff will work remotely during the transition and will remain fully available to members. Contact ISBA as you normally would, and click here to view the staff directory.

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Individuals will speak with a licensed attorney volunteering their time and experience during 10- to 15-minute consultations to answer general questions and offer legal information.

In light of the pandemic, attorneys are especially prepared to speak with callers about landlord-tenant issues, expungement, bankruptcy, and various other areas of law. Other topics Hoosiers can discuss include child support, complaints again a city, contract disputes, divorce, employment issues, immigration, and wills and estates.

Members of the ISBA donate their time for this once-a-year program as a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The program is an opportunity for attorneys statewide to provide free legal consultations to members of the general public who might not otherwise be able to afford the counsel of an attorney.

Please help share this information with the general public who may benefit from free legal counsel. Walk-in locations and call-in phone numbers will be published at www.inbar.org/consultation.

About the Indiana State Bar Association:
Founded in 1896, the Indiana State Bar Association is the single largest legal organization in the state. The ISBA serves and advocates on behalf of its members, their clients and the public interest as the independent voice of the legal profession. The ISBA’s office is located in downtown Indianapolis. For more information about the Indiana State Bar Association, visit www.inbar.org.

The LDA program develops lawyers to be informed, committed and involved so that they may be empowered as leaders throughout the Indiana community and in local and state bar associations, and seen as role models in matters of ethics and professionalism.

The 19 class members will participate in five sessions featuring professional facilitators and prominent speakers from various disciplines to inform participants about leadership principles and techniques, and help them chart their personal leadership path.

The members of the Leadership Development Academy Class of 2022 are:

• Tarah Baldwin, Baldwin Legal, Marion County
  
• Mindy Westrick Brown, Indiana Energy Association, Marion County
  
• Scott Collins, Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves, Wagner, LLP, Marion County
  
• Mary (Elizabeth) Daulton, Indiana Supreme Court, Bartholomew County
  
• Katherine Flood, Flood Family Law, Marion County
  
• Rosemary James, Cummins, Inc., Marion County
  
• Amanda Jordan, May Oberfell Lorber, St. Joseph County
  
• April Keaton, Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Marion County
  
• Chris Kozak, Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP, Marion County
  
• Alexander Kruse, Kruse Law, LLC, Boone County
  
• Robert Lamey, Kahn, Dees, Donovan, & Kahn, LLP, Vanderburgh County
  
• Derrick McDowell, Dentons Bingham Greenbaum, Vanderburgh County
  
• Jason Mizzell, Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP, Marion County
  
• Rex Patterson, Patterson Law LLC, Allen County
  
• Kyle Ring, Doehrman Buba Ring, Hamilton County
  
• Marjana Sotiroski, NiSource Corporate Services, Lake County
  
• Erika Sylvester, Cummins, Inc., Marion County
  
• Katherine Tapp, Kightlinger & Gray, LLP, Floyd County
  
• Brittni Wassmer, Indiana Supreme Court, Marion County
  

About the Indiana State Bar Association:
Founded in 1896, the Indiana State Bar Association is the single largest legal organization in the state. The ISBA serves and advocates on behalf of its members, their clients and the public interest as the independent voice of the legal profession. The ISBA’s office is located in downtown Indianapolis. For more information about the Indiana State Bar Association, visit www.inbar.org.

Miller received his law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana. Following a two-year judicial clerkship for Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard, he served as the Chief Administrative Law Judge at the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for four years. After a brief stint as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Public Utility Regulation at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., in 2000 Miller entered private practice with the Indianapolis law firm then known as Baker & Daniels. Nine years later, he moved his office across the street to join Bamberger, Foreman, Oswald & Hahn. In 2017, he and his law partners voted to merge with the larger Kentucky-based firm Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC. After three years with Stoll Keenon, in September 2020 Clay hung-out his own shingle, opening Clayton Miller Law, P.C. He is admitted to practice law before the courts of the State of Indiana, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Miller grew up in Muncie, Ind. After graduation from Muncie Northside High School, he attended Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he received his undergraduate degree in History and was a four-year varsity swimmer, specializing in the breaststroke. After college, he worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., first for the U.S. House Iran-Contra Committee, then for U.S. Representative Thomas Petri of Wisconsin, before returning to Indiana for law school.

Long active in the Indianapolis community, Miller currently serves on the board of the Madam Walker Legacy Center (former Vice President); the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Foundation (President); and the Appellate Practice Section (past-Chair) of the Indianapolis Bar Association. He received the William G. Baker Civic Education Award from the Indiana Bar Foundation in 2011 and is a leader at his downtown church, Roberts Park United Methodist, where he sings in the choir. He also recently concluded a multi-year stint as president of the Contemporary Art Society at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.

Additional previous civic engagements have included serving on the boards of the Harvard Club of Indiana (President), the Indiana Landmarks Foundation (Secretary), Dance Kaleidoscope (Secretary), the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Association (President), the I.U. Maurer School of Law Alumni Board, the Indiana Bar Foundation, the Friends of the Indiana State Archives, and the National Association of Schools of Music (Public Member). 

Miller succeeds Michael E. Tolbert of Tolbert & Tolbert, Gary, Ind. Amy Noe Dudas of Dudas Law in Richmond, Ind. assumes the role as ISBA president-elect, and Hon. Tom Felts, Fort Wayne, Ind. was elected vice president during today’s member assembly.

ISBA’s new leadership team, as inducted by members during the ISBA Annual Meeting is:

OFFICERS
President: Clayton C. Miller, Indianapolis
President Elect: Amy Noe Dudas, Richmond
Vice President: Hon. Tom Felts, Fort Wayne
Secretary: Mary Louise Dague Buck
Treasurer: Yvette LaPlante
Counsel to the President: Terry Tolliver

BOARD OF GOVERNORS
1st District: Candace Williams, Gary
2nd District: Zachary Lightner, Auburn
3rd District:  Hon. Cristal Brisco, South Bend
4th District: Lindsay Lepley, Fort Wayne
5th District: Cliff Robinson, Rensselaer
6th District: Scott Smith, Noblesville
7th District: Emily Storm-Smith, Indianapolis
8th District: Katie Boren, Evansville
9th District: Greg Fifer, Jeffersonville
10th District: Melissa Cunnyngham, Frankfort
11th District: 

• Colin Flora, Indianapolis
  
• Ann Sutton, Indianapolis
  
• Jon Laramore, Indianapolis
  

At Large District:

• Renee Ortega, Hammond
  
• Freedom Smith, Indianapolis
  

Past President: Michael Tolbert, Gary
House of Delegates Chair: Holly Harvey, Monroe County
House of Delegates Chair Elect: Angka Hinshaw, Indianapolis
Young Lawyers Section Chair: Alyssa Cochran, New Albany
Young Lawyers Section Observer: Brandon Tate, Indianapolis

The Association for Continuing Legal Education presented ISBA with the Award of Outstanding Achievement in the public interest category of its Best Awards. 

The ISBA created Open Conversations with the intent to share candid dialogue about race and culture in the legal landscape. 

The short-term goal is simple: To acknowledge and substantiate the struggles from people of color within the legal profession. Furthermore, it’s an opportunity for others to listen, gain empathy, and perhaps heighten the awareness of their own implicit bias. 

Long-term, the hope is that Open Conversations will play a role in improving diversity in the profession, diversity on the bench, and, ultimately, leading to more equitable outcomes for Hoosier citizens in our court system. 

In addition to reaching more than a thousand legal practitioners, the feedback ISBA has received demonstrates that Open Conversations is achieving its goals:

“It really brings this topic home when you hear what my fellow colleagues have had to fight through given the racism in this country and within the legal profession.”
“These sessions give me inspiration.”
“This series has been very meaningful. Thank you for creating a safe space to share stories, ask questions, and push us to be better people and professionals.”

The program would not be possible, or as impactful, without the leadership of the program's hosts Angka Hinshaw and Justice Steven David; without the time, expertise and vulnerability of the program’s speakers; without the openness and curiosity of the legal practitioners who attend the program; or without the support of local bar associations, corporations, law firms, law schools and other entities who have partnered with the program:

• Allen County Bar Association
• Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Indiana (APABA-IN)
• Barnes and Thornburg LLP
• Boone County Bar Association 
• Brown County Bar Association 
• Child Advocates
• Church Church Hittle + Antrim
• Coalition for Our Immigrant Neighbors, Inc. (COIN)
• Cummins Inc. 
• Evansville Bar Association
• Indiana Bar Foundation
• Indiana Court of Appeals
• Indiana Judges Association 
• Indiana Public Defender Council
• Indiana State Conference of the NAACP
• Indiana Supreme Court
• Indianapolis Bar Association
  
• Indy Lawyers for Black Lives
• IU Maurer School of Law
• IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law
• Keller Macaluso LLC
• Kimbrough Bar Association
• Lake County Bar Association
• Marion County Bar Association
• Monroe County Bar Association 
• Notre Dame Law School
• Peter King Law, PSC
• St. Joseph County Bar Association
• Taft Law
• Thomson Reuters

Equity and inclusion in Indiana’s legal space is a key priority for ISBA, and a pillar of its strategic plan. ISBA is honored to receive the ACLEA’s Award of Outstanding Achievement, and recommits its dedication to continuing the important conversations initiated in Open Conversations.

The next Open Conversations program is Friday, July 30 at 12 p.m. ET and will feature lessons from leaders in DEI. Click here to register.

• Organizations with two or more full-time employees (second employee cannot be a spouse).
• Organizations who are members of the ISBA Employer Association. Membership is free, but 20% of the company’s Indiana licensed attorneys must be members of the ISBA. Learn more at www.inbar.org/employerassociation.

• HB 1453 would unnecessarily change a working system. The current system works and has continued to produce qualified, diverse judicial candidates. 
• HB 1453 threatens judicial independence. This bill unnecessarily politicizes the vetting process for judicial candidates and shifts that responsibility to the executive branch. The current system allows for vital input to be shared from experienced, local practitioners and a Supreme Court/Court of Appeals judge to ensure the qualifications of a judicial candidate are properly vetted. In contrast, the current bill would allow the governor to select the majority of nominating commission members (three of the five) with no requirement that the appointees have any legal training or connection to the legal community. Likewise, there is no guarantee that local attorneys would even be part of the judicial selection process. 

The Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) has launched the ISBA Employer Association, a new cohort for Indiana’s law firms and legal agencies. ISBA will work in tandem with the ISBA Employer Association to progress the interests of Indiana’s legal-employer practices and provide support and resources at the organizational level.

The ISBA Employer Association was created to address a gap for managing partners, and legal organizations in general. Current bar associations are primarily designed to serve the individual legal professional. Although many provide resources for law practice management, ISBA feels organizations need more support to best navigate the ever-changing legal landscape.

In addition to joining a statewide network of firms and agencies, members will get access to programs and services best suited for their needs. Just a few of those include:

• Member discounts on organizational training, such as ISBA’s 14-course curriculum designed to help firms develop leaders and build stronger teams.
• Access to resources specific to firms and agencies, such as ISBA’s COVID response page and our nationally recognized “How to Reopen Your Practice” guidelines.
• An online community and peer network for managing partners.
• Access to current and future products, including discounts from our growing list of law-practice solution providers.

The ISBA Employer Association is open to any law firm or agency that has at least 20 percent of its Indiana-licensed attorneys as members of the Indiana State Bar Association. Membership is free for those who qualify.

For more information and to join the ISBA Employer Association, visit www.inbar.org/page/employerassociation.

Tolbert and his wife, Shelice Tolbert, launched Tolbert & Tolbert law firm in Gary, Ind. in 2015 as a faith-based law firm. Tolbert’s practice is focused in litigation. He has served as the president of the Lake County Bar Association, the James C. Kimbrough Bar Association (twice), and the Porter County Inns of Court, respectively. In 2010, he was the recipient of the 20 Under 40 Award given by the Northwest Indiana Times publication “BusINess.”

“Even more so than ever, we must work together to find solutions to the problems faced by Indiana lawyers as a result of the pandemic,” said Tolbert. “The foremost priority of my presidency will be leveraging the ISBA’s vast resources as a statewide connector of lawyers, the courts, and community partners to help the practice of law and each lawyer’s respective community emerge stronger.”

Tolbert succeeds Leslie Craig Henderzahs, a partner at Church Church Hittle + Antrim, in Fishers, Indiana.

“Michael brings a contagious energy for the legal community and passion that, combined with his keen knowledge of business and the law, will be key characteristics in ensuring the Indiana State Bar Association remains the leading voice for our profession.” Henderzahs said. 
  
Clayton C. Miller of Clayton Miller Law, P.C. in Indianapolis, assumes the role as ISBA president-elect, and Amy Noe Dudas of Dudas Law in Richmond, Ind. was elected vice president during today’s member assembly.

ISBA’s new leadership team, as inducted by members during the ISBA Annual Meeting is:

OFFICERS

President: Michael E. Tolbert, Gary
President-Elect: Clayton C. Miller, Indianapolis
Vice President: Amy Noe Dudas, Richmond
Secretary: Renee Ortega, Hammond
Treasurer: James Dillon, Merrillville
Counsel to the President: Shontrai Irving, Hammond

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

1st District: Jacquelyn S. Pillar, Crown Point
2nd District: Zachary Lightner, Auburn
3rd District: Mag. Cristal Brisco, Mishawaka
4th District: Douglas R. Adelsperger, Fort Wayne
5th District: Kyle B. Madeville, Lafayette
6th District: Nathan “Scott” Smith, Noblesville
7th District: Emily Storm-Smith, Indianapolis
8th District: Laura “Katie” Boren, Evansville
9th District: Gregory “Greg” Fifer, Jeffersonville
10th District: Adrienne E. Rines, Marion
11th District:

• Angka E. Hinshaw, Indianapolis
• Charles F. Miller, Indianapolis
• Jon Laramore, Indianapolis

At-Large District:

• Elizabeth A. Bellin, Elkhart
• Freedom Smith, Indianapolis

Past President: Leslie Craig Henderzahs, Noblesville
House of Delegates:

• Michael J. Jasaitis, Crown Point, Chair
• Hon. Holly M. Harvey, Bloomington, Vice Chair  

Young Lawyers Chair Section: Sara McClammer, Indianapolis

Media Contact: Jenna Parsons, 317.639.5465, ext. 34, jparsons@inbar.org

Click here to learn more about Jim.

• Creating a strategic plan that will identify and address key areas of inequality within the legal system. Specific details will be shared as the plan is developed.
  
• Partnering with IUPUI to conduct a survey which will provide data to gain insight into the minority experience in the legal profession in an effort to guide future programming. This project, led by the ISBA Diversity Committee, was under way before protests began.  
  
• Lending ISBA resources and expertise to the Indiana Supreme Court and other partners who are working to close the equity gap. 
  
• Providing free CLE to educate and increase awareness on topics such as diversity, implicit bias and other areas aimed at closing the equity gap. 
  
• Doubling back on past work, such as the 2010 Summit on Racial Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System, to determine what progress was made and what needs more attention. 
  
• Sharing opportunities for members to engage in progress, such as the recent Legal Observer trainings and participating in Indy Lawyers for Black Lives.
  
  

The above list is not exhaustive and the ISBA will continue to work hard to pursue innovative ways to promote equality and fairness in the legal profession.

Please join us in being active participants to improve equity within the justice system, the legal profession, and in our own respective communities. Feel free to contact us with any ideas or expressions of interest.

Sincerely,

Leslie Craig Henderzahs, President
Michael Tolbert, President-Elect
Joe Skeel, Executive Director