With the creation of social networking sites, judges have asked whether it is ethically permissible for them to join internet-based social networks themselves and to create personal and/or professional profiles. The quick answer to the first question is that judges generally can join internet-based social networks. Rule 3.1 of the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct says judges are permitted to engage in extrajudicial … [Read more...] about Best Practices and Tips Regarding the Use of Social Media
Features
Updated Roll of Attorneys website has new features
The Indiana Roll of Attorneys Website is used by the public, the press, organizations that hire attorneys, state agencies and others to get basic information about an attorney’s license, bar status, and disciplinary history. In January 2013, the Appellate Clerk’s Office replaced its decade-old Roll of Attorneys website with an improved version offering new features and information, as well as a fresh, easy-to-use des … [Read more...] about Updated Roll of Attorneys website has new features
Committee Considering Comprehensive Rules for Electronic Filing in the Courts
Presently, Indiana Administrative Rule (AR) 16 charges the Division of State Court Administration with reviewing and approving local rules for pilot electronic filing (e-filing) projects that meet a laundry list of specific factors listed in that rule. Such local e-filing pilot projects exist in Marion County, with Lexis-Nexus as the vendor, and in Lake County, as part of the county’s homegrown system developed by a … [Read more...] about Committee Considering Comprehensive Rules for Electronic Filing in the Courts
Assuring Timely Chronological Case Summary (CCS) Records
Indiana Trial Rule 77 provides guidelines about the records and information that an Indiana trial court must create and maintain. That rule calls for four types of records: (1) indexes, which list in a searchable format the name and the case number of a proceeding; (2) a chronological case summary (CCS), which is a sequential summary describing the events in a proceeding; (3) the case file, which contains all the … [Read more...] about Assuring Timely Chronological Case Summary (CCS) Records
US Supreme Court Examines Services for Self-Represented Litigants
The treatment of self-represented litigants is an ongoing dilemma for Indiana courts. Judges grapple with questions of how to effectively ensure access to justice for these litigants, who may be at a disadvantage in proceedings where important rights are at stake. This question was addressed by the United States Supreme Court in 2011 in Turner v. Rogers, 131 S.Ct 2507 (2011). Although the ruling in this case was … [Read more...] about US Supreme Court Examines Services for Self-Represented Litigants