By Heather R. Falks, Employment Attorney – ADA Coordinator | Office of General Counsel Mask mandates are not a political issue; they are a liability issue. It makes good sense to instill safety protocols because it minimizes court liability, promotes public safety, and helps avoid court closures. As an employer, courts have a responsibility to […]
Features
2020 Forward: A Vision for the Future of Indiana’s Justice System
By Michelle Goodman, Staff Attorney | Indiana Office of Court Services The Judicial Conference of Indiana’s Strategic Planning Committee continues to set a vision for the future of Indiana’s justice system. Since the committee’s inception in 2008, it has continued its efforts through education, implementation, and additional planning to carry out its overall mission, “[t]o improve […]
Race and Equity: National and Statewide Support
Compiled by the Office of Communication, Education & Outreach On June 5, 2020, Chief Justice Rush released the statement on race and equity, charging the judiciary to take action in providing equitable justice to our communities. The statement implores judicial officers to acknowledge and confront the reality that justice remains elusive for many persons of […]
Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council Meetings
By Jenny Bauer, Staff Attorney | Office of Court Services An important part of Indiana’s criminal code reform was the General Assembly’s creation of the Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council in 2015. The original nine members of the Council included leaders from the executive and judicial branches of government as well as leaders from the community […]
GAL/CASA Conference: Do Something Small to Change Something Big
By Leslie Dunn, State Director of GAL/CASA | Office of Court Services The State Office of GAL/CASA held its 24th annual conference (virtually, for the first time ever) on September 26, 2020. Over 1,100 program staff and volunteers attended the event—a record-breaking number! The “Do Something Small to Change Something Big” conference featured four inspiring and […]
A Bar Exam Unlike Any Other
By Bradley Skolnik, Executive Director | Office of Admissions & Continuing Education During its 90-year history, the Indiana bar exam had been offered 187 times as a traditional in-person, closed-book examination. Regardless of the circumstances, the exam was almost always administered like clockwork. Even during World War II, when many men of test-taking age were serving […]
Judicial Education in the Age of COVID
By Ashley A. Moise, Education Staff Attorney | Office of Court Services One of the realities of COVID-19 is that education doesn’t quite look the same. Across the nation, schools and universities have transitioned to distance learning. Indiana Judges have also transitioned to distance learning to obtain their mandatory continuing judicial education, also known as […]
Problem-solving court adapts to COVID-19
Video by Mary Kay Hudson, Executive Director of Office of Court Services with guests Allen County Court Administrator John McGauley and Judge Frances Gull Some Indiana problem-solving courts have found innovative ways to adapt to COVID-19. Allen Superior Court Judge Fran Gull and Court Executive John McGauley discuss the importance of strategic planning and creativity when […]
Youth Justice in the Time of COVID-19
By Nancy Wever, Director | Indiana Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Almost overnight, Indiana’s youth justice systems went from business as usual to remote supervision, virtual interactions, and attending court hearings online. What may have been considered something that would never happen six months ago did happen and will likely permanently shape the operation of youth […]
Building Resilience to Prepare for Tomorrow
By Paige Newland, Learning Consultant/Program Coordinator | Office of Court Services An emergency like flood, fire, power outage, mold, active human threat—or, as we all now realize, a pandemic—can adversely impact the court system in ways we may not expect. Employee absence, loss of records, technology failure, or facility damage can greatly diminish the effectiveness of […]
State Office of GAL/CASA Celebrates 30 Years of Child Advocacy at Statehouse
By Leslie Dunn, State Director of GAL/CASA | Office of Court Services On March 4 (before the pandemic required social distancing), over 400 Court Appointed Special Advocate and Guardian Ad Litem volunteers and staff gathered at the Statehouse to celebrate 30 years of best-interest advocacy for abused and neglected children and to thank the legislature […]
2020 Legislative Session Highlights
By Amanda R. Wishin, Research Attorney | Indiana Office of Court Services This year’s short legislative session addressed a couple larger policy issues: the legal smoking age increased to 21 years old (S.E.A. 1, P.L. 49) and texting and driving became illegal (H.E.A. 1070, P.L. 100). All bills are effective on July 1, 2020, unless […]
Disciplinary Commission Formal Advisory Opinion #1-20: Third Party Comments On Lawyer’s Social Media
By G. Michael Witte ׀ Executive Director, Disciplinary Commission If you use social media, are you attentive to what others post on your page? If someone should post a message or link that is vulgar, racially callous, intimidating, or misogynistic, do you tacitly own it if you do not remove it? Several social media platforms […]
The State of the Child
By Julie L. Whitman, MSW, Executive Director | Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana The Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana hosted the Indiana Youth Institute’s “State of the Child” presentation at the State House on February 25. The State of the Child has become an annual event to launch […]
The Indiana JDAI Implicit Bias Training Institute: Building Capacity for an Equitable Youth Justice System
By Nancy Wever, Director | Indiana Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative AND Tashi Teuschler, Assistant Director | Indiana Juvenile Detention Alternatives The Indiana Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Implicit Bias Training Institute is a four-part, capacity-building workshop to strengthen one’s understanding of implicit bias and how biases impact our daily decisions. The rigorous curriculum equips participants with skills […]
