With nearly 1.6 million new cases filed in 2013, Indiana’s trial courts must continually look for new ways to increase efficiency while still providing a high quality of service to litigants and other court participants. One of these ways is through Indiana’s Court Reform Grant program, funded through federal reimbursements for previously uncollected expenses associated with Title IV-D enforcement actions. Since 200 … [Read more...] about 2014 Reform Grants
Pro Bono
Facilitation: A Win-Win for Courts and Unrepresented Litigants
More and more litigants in family law cases are appearing in Indiana’s courts without the assistance of lawyers. Whether this phenomenon is due to economic reasons, the proliferation of self-service information on the Internet, or other factors, the fact remains that these unrepresented litigants need assistance in completing pleading, filing them, preparing for court hearings, and understanding the court p … [Read more...] about Facilitation: A Win-Win for Courts and Unrepresented Litigants
Delivering Pro Bono Advice Online
There is a new, statewide method of delivering pro bono advice to the public. The Indiana Bar Foundation and the Indiana Pro Bono Commission have worked with their Tennessee counterparts to bring online a system for providing legal advice to the public. “Think of it as a ‘Talk to a Lawyer’ program in which you can participate from any Internet-enabled computer, smartphone or tablet device,” said Charles R. Dunlap, exe … [Read more...] about Delivering Pro Bono Advice Online
New Districts and New Judicial Appointees for the Indiana Pro Bono Commission
The Indiana Supreme Court, on January 1, 2012, approved a change in boundaries of Indiana’s Pro Bono districts. The Court shifted boundaries to balance the state ratio of indigent people per lawyer. The ratio varied as widely as 24:1 to 146:1. With the new change, which includes the elimination of 2 districts, the ratio will approach 78:1. The Court also announced new Judicial District Appointees to reflect the shift … [Read more...] about New Districts and New Judicial Appointees for the Indiana Pro Bono Commission
Supreme Court Sponsors Pro Bono Mediation Training
The Indiana Supreme Court and the Indiana Pro Bono Commission partnered with the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum to offer a free 40-hour domestic relations mediation training program May 14-18, 2012 that was geared toward mediators working with the low-income community and unrepresented litigants. This was the third time the Court has offered the training. The curriculum was coordinated by Professor Amy … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Sponsors Pro Bono Mediation Training