Indiana Supreme Court tasks commission with finding ways to reverse Indiana's attorney shortage

According to the state's high court, nearly all 92 Indiana counties have fewer lawyers per capita than the national average, and the gap is particularly acute in Indiana's rural and most socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, as well as in the public service sector.

"This shortage threatens the institution of the legal profession, public trust in the courts, the rule of law and the civic health of our communities," the five Supreme Court justices said.

To attempt to combat the shortage, the commission is charged with exploring options for addressing Indiana's attorney shortage and presenting its findings and recommendations to the Supreme Court, which has exclusive authority to regulate the practice and profession of law in the Hoosier State.

Specifically, the commission will evaluate lawyer business and licensing models, legal education and pathways to bar admission, incentives for rural legal practice, incentives for public service work, and the role technology potentially may play to fill gaps in legal representation.

The 23-member commission is led by Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Nancy Vaidik, a Porter County native, and Justin Forkner, Indiana Supreme Court chief administrative officer. St. John attorney Angela Jones is a member of the commission.

The commission is expected to submit its findings and recommendations as soon as they're ready. But any that require legislative action or state funding to implement should be preliminarily finalized by Aug. 1, 2024. The commission must provide its final report no later than July 1, 2025.

Indiana's attorney shortage was exacerbated by the 2020 closure of Valparaiso University Law School that annually graduated between 100 and 200 new lawyers each year.

The law school at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, which has an annual tuition of $70,606, now is the sole legal training facility north of Indianapolis.