By Peyton Restauri, Intern • Office of Communication, Education & Outreach What is the role of a judge beyond the bench and gavel? When a person envisions a judge, the first image that springs to mind might be a solitary figure in a black robe, presiding over a courtroom and issuing decisive rulings. While that representation fits part of the job, it falls short of depicting the many roles that judges p … [Read more...] about Graduate Judges Take on Civic Outreach
Articles
The Future of Adult Guardianship
By Nick Parker, Staff Attorney | Office of Court Services, Adult Guardianship Office Guardianship is an area of law that continues to grow and evolve. In recent years, new laws and policies have re-evaluated how society views this legal arrangement, including what a guardian’s proper rights and responsibilities are for providing care to an adult in need of services. Framing this role will become more i … [Read more...] about The Future of Adult Guardianship
Improving Permanency Outcomes One Hearing at a Time: A Study of Indiana’s CHINS Proceedings
By Jamie Devine, Court Improvement Program Administrator | Office of Court Services, Children & Families Division High-quality court hearings play a critical role in achieving timely, safe permanency outcomes for children involved in Child in Need of Services cases. To better understand how these hearings are conducted in practice, the Indiana Court Improvement Program partnered with the Indiana Department … [Read more...] about Improving Permanency Outcomes One Hearing at a Time: A Study of Indiana’s CHINS Proceedings
Resources for Juvenile and Family Court Judges
The Youth Justice Oversight Committee, the Family Law Taskforce, and the Court Improvement Program are actively working on initiatives and tools to help improve court processes for litigants and judges in juvenile delinquency and family law cases. Here are some of the resources available: Youth Justice Oversight Committee The statewide Youth Justice Oversight Committee was established by the legislature … [Read more...] about Resources for Juvenile and Family Court Judges
2026 State of the Judiciary: Justice in the Heartland
On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Chief Justice Loretta Rush delivered her twelfth State of the Judiciary address to Governor Mike Braun and a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly. In her remarks, Rush talked about the critical work done by both prosecutors and public defenders—two types of public servants working on different sides of the courtroom but together endeavoring to uphold the rule of l … [Read more...] about 2026 State of the Judiciary: Justice in the Heartland