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 … [Read more...] about Leadership Development Academy
Ethics
Punishing the Profane
Using Criminal Contempt Powers in an Ethical Manner Adefendant spews forth a string of curses during his initial hearing. A cell phone goes off in a busy courtroom, but no one will take responsibility for the disruption. When submitting a check to pay her fine, a litigant writes an expletive (expressing how she feels about the court) in the memo section. Judges often face disrespectful and disruptive behavior in the … [Read more...] about Punishing the Profane
Best Practices: Dealing with Inappropriate Written Materials
[Editor's Note: This is the fourth and final article in a series of articles from the Ethics and Professionalism Committee of the Indiana Judicial Conference. The author thanks and acknowledges the contributions of those who attended the session at the September 2010 Judicial Conference in Indianapolis and contributed to the “Best Practices” suggestions related here.] How should a judge react to commentary in a mot … [Read more...] about Best Practices: Dealing with Inappropriate Written Materials
Best Practices: What to do with the Unprepared Attorney
[Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of four articles from the Ethics and Professionalism Committee of the Indiana Judicial Conference. The author thanks and acknowledges the contributions of those who attended the session at the September, 2010 Judicial Conference in Indianapolis and contributed to the “Best Practices” suggestions related here.] One way judges can increase courtroom productivity is to ass … [Read more...] about Best Practices: What to do with the Unprepared Attorney
Judicial Hiring and Administrative Appointments Revisited
Some rules of conduct are worth repeating. This is one of them. Generally, it is not a good idea for a judge to hire a family member or friend as a court employee or to appoint them to an administrative position. There are a number of practical reasons for this view, including that the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct requires judges to make hiring and appointment decisions in a fair and impartial … [Read more...] about Judicial Hiring and Administrative Appointments Revisited