Ind. Sup. Ct. Order: order-other-2025-25S-MS-288

In the

Indiana Supreme Court

Cause No. 25S-MS-288

Order on Final Recommendations Made by

the Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future

The Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future, established by this Court on April 4, 2024,

submitted its final report on June 30, 2025. The report contains fifteen recommendations in

addition to the twenty-seven initial recommendations provided in the Commission’s interim

report last year. The Court commends the members of the Commission and its work groups on

their exceptional efforts.

The final report was posted for public comment from July 23, 2025, through August 29,

2025. The Court has reviewed the recommendations and public comments, discussed the

recommendations with the Commission’s co-chairs and Court staff, and now makes the

following determinations regarding each of the fifteen recommendations:

Final Recommendations

a. Ongoing Oversight of Legal Futures Initiatives. The Court agrees with

Recommendation (a) and directs the Office of Judicial Administration’s Office of

Innovation, in collaboration with other stakeholders in OJA and the legal profession,

to maintain oversight of initiatives aimed at addressing Indiana’s legal services

shortage. Additionally, the Court directs OJA to establish a working group within an

appropriate committee to help lead and support efforts to encourage access to law

schools and the legal profession.

b. Funding for Scholarships. The Court supports Recommendation (b) and encourages

interested stakeholders to continue seeking funding for the scholarship program

established by House Enrolled Act 1515 (2025).

c. Public Service Pathway Pilot. The Court supports the concepts in Recommendation

(c) and directs OJA’s Office of Admissions and Continuing Education to establish a

Pathways to Admission Pilot Task Force, which shall include experienced attorneys in

areas of high legal needs as well as representatives from a legal services organization

that provides legal assistance to persons of limited means, public defender offices,

prosecuting attorney offices, the Indiana Department of Child Services, and Indiana’s

law schools. The Task Force shall provide detailed parameters for a public service

pathway pilot for law licensure, including necessary rule changes, by July 30, 2026, for

implementation in 2027.

d. Public Service Loan Repayment Assistance. The Court supports Recommendation

(d) and directs OJA to collaborate with the Indiana Bar Foundation to consider ways

to consolidate management of the loan repayment programs proposed in the

Commission’s Interim Report, the John R. Justice Program, and the Foundation’s

existing loan repayment programs.

e. Implement Advanced Courtroom Technologies. The Court approves

Recommendation (e) and directs the Technology Working Group of the Court’s

Innovation Committee to explore these concepts and propose pilot projects or

initiatives.

f. Support the Growth of Legal Education. The Court agrees with Recommendation (f)

and the value of these initiatives. The Court directs OJA’s Office of Communication,

Education, and Outreach to collaborate with the working group established in section

(a), the Community Relations Committee of the Indiana Judicial Conference, the bar

associations of Indiana, and other stakeholders, to explore and implement proposals

aimed at highlighting the importance of legal education.

g. Amend Small Claims Limits and Procedural Rules. The Court supports

Recommendation (g) as an exercise of the General Assembly’s policy-making

authority. And the Court directs the Limited Jurisdiction & Traffic Law Committee of

Indiana’s Judicial Conference to determine what court rules may require amendment

to better effectuate the purpose of small claims proceedings if the statutory small

claims limits are raised.

h. Regionalize Judicial and Bar Association Resources. The Court agrees with the ideas

in Recommendation (h). The Judicial Conference of Indiana’s newly created

Committee on Judicial Resources is already exploring many of these ideas in support

of the General Assembly’s responsibility to allocate judicial resources across Indiana.

The Court encourages the Indiana State Bar Association to help lead both county-level

and local bar associations in exploring ways to regionalize and strengthen the

professional connections of Indiana’s legal communities.

i. Advise Practitioners on Alternative Fee Structures. The Court approves

Recommendation (i) and directs OJA’s Office of Judicial and Attorney Regulation to

issue an advisory opinion on this topic by January 1, 2026.

j. Create and Support Undergraduate-Law School Pipelines. The Court supports

Recommendation (j) and directs the working group established in section (a) to

collaborate with Indiana’s law schools and undergraduate institutions to develop and

support legal professional pipelines.

k. Implement Documentation Automation Tools and MyCase Improvements. The

Court approves Recommendation (k) and directs the Technology Working Group to

explore these concepts and propose pilot projects or other initiatives.

l. Informational Videos to Aid Litigants. The Court supports Recommendation (l) and

encourages the Indiana Bar Foundation and Indiana Legal Help, along with other pro

bono providers and OJA stakeholders, to develop a library of videos for posting on

IndianaLegalHelp.org and related sites.

m. Study Use of Clerk Staff. The Court approves Recommendation (m) and directs the

Innovation Committee to collaborate with the Association of Circuit Court Clerks of

Indiana and the Strategic Planning Committee of Indiana’s Judicial Conference in

undertaking this effort.

n. Mentorships. The Court supports Recommendation (n) and encourages the ISBA to

explore this proposal and consider incorporating it into existing, successful ISBA

mentorship programs.

o. Centralize Public Service Job Availability. The Court supports Recommendation (o)

and encourages Indiana’s legal professional organizations, such as the ISBA, the Bar

Foundation, or Pro Bono Indiana, to collaborate on exploring a one-stop online

resource for public service legal internships and career opportunities.

Done at Indianapolis, Indiana, on 11/5/2025.

Loretta H. Rush

Chief Justice of Indiana

All Justices concur.