Purpose
The Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future was created by order of the Supreme Court to explore options for addressing Indiana’s attorney shortage and present findings and recommendations to the Court on future actions. The Commission is directed to provide a written report, with findings and recommendations, to the Court by July 1, 2025, and to the extent recommendations may include legislative changes or funding, the Commission is directed to provide an interim report limited to those requests by August 1, 2024.
The Commission’s work is divided into five work groups, each incorporating a broad spectrum of relevant professional expertise.
- Business & Licensure Models
Identify ways in which the current law firm business model and professional regulations can be improved to meet the needs of modern and future practice and make recommendations on alternative legal licensure models.
- Pathways to Admission & Education
Identify and make recommendations on models for alternative pathways to legal practice in Indiana and on models to strengthen and streamline connections between secondary, undergraduate, and law school institutions.
- Incentivizing Rural Practice
Identify and make recommendations on ways to connect law students, practitioners, and other legal professionals to business and professional opportunities within rural communities.
- Incentivizing Public Service Work
Identify and make recommendations on ways to promote interest in public-service-oriented legal work, including in the criminal justice system, in family services, in civil legal aid, and in local, county, and state government.
- Technology Applications
Identify and make recommendations on ways to safely and ethically utilize emerging technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence and online dispute resolution, to fill gaps in legal representation.
Documents
Public invited to comment on commission’s interim report
August 15, 2024
Indiana’s attorney shortage is real and rapidly approaching a critical point. According to the American Bar Association, our state ranks in the bottom ten nationally with only 2.3 attorneys per 1,000 residents. The Indiana Supreme Court created a Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future to find innovative ways to address this shortage. The commission published an interim report outlining its proposals, and the court invited comment on the report until Friday, September 13.
Contact
Leah McGee
Indiana Office of Judicial Administration
leah.mcgee@courts.in.gov
317-232-2542