Leadership Development Academy

OnTuesday, 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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Best Practices with “Rambo” Attorneys

Promoting Civility and Professionalism in the Courtroom
[Editor's Note: This is the first 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 [...]

Disciplinary Responsibility of Judges and the Duty to Report Ethical Misconduct

Reporting the professional misconduct of a colleague or contemporary is never an easy task.  For many judges, their most difficult duty may be deciding whether to report an ethical violation by another judge or an attorney.  But, it also may be their most important.
As a day-to-day observer of other judges and attorneys, judges often have [...]

Ethical Considerations of Using Social Networking Sites

During the course of their professional lives, judges often have ethical questions about the application of the Code of Judicial Conduct to particular situations.  Should a judge disqualify from a particular case?  May a judge attend and participate in a specific fundraiser?  What should a judge do about an ex parte communication that the judge [...]

Social Media and the Employer

What is social media and why should a judge care about it as an employer?  The term “social media” refers to the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives. Much of the time it is purely social, but it can also be used to establish business connections, make [...]

Judges: Selection, Conduct, and the Constitution

How we select our judges has been a hot topic in the last year.  Hugh M. Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., ___U.S. ____, 2009 WL 1576573 (June 9, 2009), is a case with facts reminiscent of a John Grisham novel. We watched with great interest as it wound its way through the appellate process. [...]

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