Indiana Supreme Court establishes attorney shortage commission

Indiana Supreme Court on Friday announced a new commission tackling the state’s “critical” attorney shortage.

Nearly all of Indiana’s 92 counties have fewer lawyers per capita than the national average, according to Chief Justice Loretta Rush’s order. Rural and poor communities face an “especially acute shortage,” as do public service roles.

Lawyers, lawmakers and others have long sounded the alarm: the scarcity has left hundreds of Hoosiers without representation in court and overburdened the attorneys still working.

Indiana has a lawyer shortage. What might state lawmakers do to help?

But Indiana’s shortage has persisted.

The court convened a wide-ranging group — representatives of the judicial, executive and legislative branches; practitioners, legal education experts — on March 25. But, Rush wrote, “it became clear” then that the court should create a body dedicated to further study and recommendations.

“As the body charged by the Indiana Constitution with the exclusive authority to regulate the practice and profession of law, this Court is responsible for addressing this challenge,” she wrote.

The Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future is split into five working groups, each with its own assignment:

• The first will find ways to improve the law firm business model and professional regulations, including a look at alternative licensure models.
• The second will consider “alternative pathways to legal practice” and ways to strengthen connections between Hoosier high schools, undergraduate programs and law schools.
• The third will look to incentivize legal practice in rural areas: how to connect law students and legal professionals to opportunities within those communities.
• The fourth will study how to promote public service work in the criminal justice system, family services, civil legal aid, government and more.
• The fifth will examine emerging technologies — like generative artificial intelligence or online dispute resolution — and consider how to “safely and ethically” use them to fill gaps in legal representation.

The commission is tasked with providing recommendations involving legal changes or funding asks to interim legislative committees by August 1.

Other proposals are due to the court as they’re completed, with a final report expected by July 1, 2025.