On Tuesday, February 19, 2013, members of the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) Leadership Development Academy (LDA) joined several members of the Indiana Supreme Court over lunch at the State House in Indianapolis.
The Leadership Development Academy is a statewide leadership program established by the ISBA to help develop and empower young lawyers to become leaders in bar associations, community organizations and to serve as role models in matters of ethics and professionalism.
The inaugural 2012 leadership academy was so successful that a second academy was convened in 2013. The 2013 academy enlisted 25 Indiana lawyers who have been members of the bar for less than 15 years. To be considered, the academy applicants must be attorneys in good standing and members of the ISBA.
“Each of these lawyers will affect not only many colleagues and clients, but also his community and bar associations,” said ISBA President Daniel B. Vinovich, of Highland. “There has been a proven ripple effect of what this program can do when these graduates go back into their communities with a unique set of skills.”
The Academy consists of five monthly sessions held across the state from January through May. Each meeting features professional facilitators and prominent speakers from various disciplines who teach the participants about leadership principles and techniques, the importance of effective leaders in organizations to maximize efficiency and effectiveness, and the challenges and rewards of leadership in action.
While at the State House, the 25 members of 2013 LDA heard from Justice Loretta H. Rush, Attorney General Greg Zoeller and the following members of the Indiana General Assembly, who all happen to be lawyers: Senator Karen Tallian, Representative Eric Koch, Senator Lonnie Randolph, and Representative Greg Steuerwald. Participants also witnessed the House and Senate in session, took part in media training, watched a Court of Appeals oral argument, and toured the State House.
Boone County Deputy Prosecutor, Jon P. McDonald, who is a member of LDA II, said, “The Leadership Development Academy has been a tremendous program that has allowed me to see first-hand how the State House functions. This experience of speaking with legislators and Supreme Court justices has been invaluable, and I recommend the LDA to all practicing attorneys.”