News
Health and Human Rights Clinic Will Hold Training for Volunteers on June 8
With generous support from the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, the Health and Human Rights Clinic (“HHRC”) at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law invites local attorneys to team with clinical faculty in providing pro bono representation to low-income clients in the Indianapolis community.
This program is designed to provide law school graduates and attorneys in the local community with an opportunity to learn and develop practice skills while providing legal representation to vulnerable populations in the Indianapolis area. The HHRC staff will provide training and support to volunteers during their representation of clients.
Key Features of the Program include:
· Screening of cases by the HHRC before referral to volunteers
· Free full-day procedural and substantive training (CLE credit is pending) in practice areas including: Housing, Consumer, & Public Benefits Law in exchange for accepting pro bono cases
· Guidance & support from experienced attorneys throughout the representation of clients
· Volunteer recognition programs
· Special recognition for volunteers who provide outstanding service
To participate in this program, volunteers must attend a free full-day training session that will be held on Friday, June 8, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Robert H. McKinney School of Law. An application for CLE credit is pending in anticipation of offering six (6) hours of free CLE credit to all attendees who accept pro bono cases. If you plan to attend this training, please R.S.V.P. no later than Friday, June 1, 2012 by completing and emailing the Contact Information Form to gsmallwo@iupui.edu or dclott@iupui.edu. Contact Form
For more information about the Health and Human Rights Clinic visit: http://www.indylaw.indiana.edu/clinics/HHRC.pdf . To learn more about the Indianapolis Bar Foundation please click the link below or visit: http://www.indybar.org/about/bar-foundation .
Work of Appellate Clinic Students Pays Off for Clients
Two law students enrolled in the Appellate Clinic recently won reversals for their clients. Emily Shrock (3L) represented a thirteen-year-old girl found delinquent for burglary, theft, and carrying a handgun without a license after her parent's home was burglarized. She argued the case before a three-judge panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals in December. In a published opinion, the Court found insufficient evidence to support the handgun offense and found the trial court erred in admitting hearsay evidence. Jarryd Anglin (3L) represented a man who was convicted of possession of marijuana. The Court of Appeals reversed his conviction, also in a published opinion, concluding "the evidence shows only that Yanez was at a flea market and was talking loudly to his female companion," which was an insufficient basis for an investigatory stop.
Since its founding in 2008, the Appellate Clinic has enabled twenty students to work on more than twenty cases. Professor Joel Schumm, ’98 who founded the clinic says, “We have obtained relief for clients in well over half the cases, which is a testament to the enormous commitment of time and creative energy students bring to each case.” The clinic provides second and third-year students the opportunity to represent indigent defendants on appeal through the Indiana Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. Each student is assigned their own case while collaborating as a class and with appellate lawyers in the community in various stages of the brief-writing and oral argument process.
Professors Adams and Hagan Help Kenya Law School Train Faculty
Following Professor Cynthia Adams’ visit to Kenya in September 2011, the Kenya Law School invited Professor Adams back to the school to conduct a five-day clinical skills workshop for the school's faculty from January 30 to February 3, 2012. Professor Adams along with Professor Carrie Hagan and Professor Mimi Samuel of Seattle University School of Law presented on teaching methodology for clinical skills, including transactional and probate drafting, live client clinics, experiential learning, and pre-trial drafting.
Kenya Law School, founded in 1963 as the country’s first law school, began its one-year Advocates Training Programme in 2008 upon recommendation from the Ministerial Taskforce on the Development of a Policy and Legal Framework for Legal Education in Kenya. The Advocates Training Programme provides clinical skills training to prepare students for admission to the Roll of Advocates and to become officers of Kenya’s High Court. Admission to the programme requires, among other criteria, that the applicant hold a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL.B.) from a recognized university. Successful completion of the Advocates Training Programme results in a post-graduate diploma.
Law School Students, Faculty and Alumni Participate in Annual Social Justice Event
Students from the Equal Justice Works chapter of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law traveled to Chicago to participate in the Annual Norman Amaker Midwest Public Interest Law & Social Justice Retreat. The event was hosted by Loyola University School of Law in Chicago and organized by IU McKinney School of Law graduate Emily Benfer, ‘05 who teaches as Clinical Professor at Loyola.
This year’s retreat, which took place February 24-26, focused on “Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges: Public Interest Initiatives for a Better Tomorrow.” According to organizers, this year’s event was inspired by a quote from United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall--“The legal system can force open doors and sometimes even knock down walls. But it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me.” Benfer says, “The Amaker Retreat hopes to develop the next generation of public interest leaders who will build the bridges necessary to become stewards for society and protectors of the underserved.”
The IU McKinney School of Law students who attended were Cristin Just, Doneisha Sanders, Whitney Brockus, Alise Cool, and Katie Rosenberger.
"Attending the 2012 Amaker Retreat was exactly what I needed as a first-year law student to solidify my decision to devote my career to public interest,” said Alise Cool. “I was so impressed with the quality and the enthusiasm of the speakers. I made solid connections with the other student attendees that I'm sure will remain intact past graduation. I will definitely be attending next year."
Whitney Brockus was equally enthusiastic, “The retreat provided solidarity for law students who come to law school but want maintain involvement in their communities," she said.
IU McKinney School of Law Clinical Professor Fran Quigley, ‘87 participated in the event, speaking in a workshop session on breaking barriers to health care. Quigley recently started the law school’s Health and Human Rights Clinic which facilitates law student and alumni involvement in pro bono legal work through a medical-legal partnership with Wishard Westside Community Health Center. Florence Wagman Roisman, the William F. Harvey Professor of Law at IU McKinney School of Law also attended the working session on creating initiatives and spoke on Race Relations.
The retreat was also co-sponsored by the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT).
Law School’s New Health and Human Rights Clinic Needs Attorney Volunteers
With generous support from the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, the Health and Human Rights Clinic (“HHRC”) at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law invites local attorneys to team with clinical faculty in providing pro bono representation to low-income clients in the Indianapolis community.
This program is designed to provide law school graduates and attorneys in the local community with an opportunity to learn and develop practice skills while providing legal representation to vulnerable populations in the Indianapolis area. The HHRC staff will provide training and support to volunteers during their representation of clients.
Key Features of the Program include:
- Screening of cases by the HHRC before referral to volunteers
- Free full-day procedural and substantive training (CLE credit is pending) in practice areas including: Housing, Consumer, & Public Benefits Law in exchange for accepting pro bono cases
- Guidance and support from experienced poverty law attorneys throughout the representation of clients
- Volunteer recognition programs
- Special recognition for volunteers who provide outstanding service
To participate in this program, volunteers must attend a free full-day training session that will be held on Friday, February 24, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. An application for CLE credit is pending in anticipation of offering six (6) hours of free CLE credit to all attendees who accept pro bono cases. If you plan to attend this training, please R.S.V.P. no later than Friday, February 17, 2012 by calling 317-278-0202 or sending an e-mail to gsmallwo@iupui.edu.
»For more information about the Health and Human Rights Clinic visit: http://www.indylaw.indiana.edu/clinics/HHRC.pdf
» To learn more about the Indianapolis Bar Foundation please visit: http://www.indybar.org/about/bar-foundation.
IU School of Law-Indianapolis Named for Business and Civic Leader Robert H. McKinney
Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie today announced the naming of the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis in honor of Indianapolis attorney, banker and civic leader, Robert H. McKinney. (Watch the webcast)
The school will be known as the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in recognition of the largest gift ever received by the school and one of the largest in legal education.
McKinney’s gift of $24 million, along with matching funds committed through the IUPUI IMPACT fundraising campaign, will bring the total value of the gift to $31.5 million. The landmark gift will provide funding for five endowed chairs to attract and retain nationally recognized scholar-teachers to the faculty. The gift will also create a $17.5 million endowment to fund McKinney Family Scholarships for outstanding students.
“With this extremely generous gift, Bob McKinney will have a transformative impact on a law school that already has provided the academic foundation for a remarkable number of lawyers, judges and community and government leaders across Indiana and beyond,” McRobbie said.
“This gift will be instrumental in our efforts to attract nationally renowned legal scholars to our law school in Indianapolis, as well as top-flight students from around the country, and we are deeply grateful to Bob for his generosity,” McRobbie added.
IU School of Law-Indianapolis Dean Gary R. Roberts said the gift will make a major difference in the school's ability to achieve its long-term goals. "It is impossible to overstate the impact of this gift upon the law school, the campus and the state," Roberts said, adding that the McKinney School is believed to be one of just a few of the nearly 200 law schools in the country to be named for a major benefactor. "It provides for faculty chairs and student support to create an unparalleled resource with which to realize the aspirations of our school -- to become one of the finest public law schools in the nation. And because this law school produces so many leaders throughout the state, this is an investment in the future of the people of Indiana and beyond.”
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Chancellor Charles R. Bantz praised the gift as being consistent both with the school’s future vision and Bob McKinney’s commitment to legal education in Indiana. “This tremendous gift supports the McKinney School's commitment to being a leader in legal education,” Bantz said. “As a founding partner of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, one of the largest law firms in Indianapolis, Bob McKinney will lend his name to a school that can proudly claim many prominent lawyers, judges and public servants worldwide as its alumni.”
Approximately 80 CEOs of companies headquartered in Indiana are alumni of the school, as are the chief of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, a former U.S. vice president and members of Congress. In recent years, the school has strengthened its offerings in such areas as public health, intellectual property law, state and local government law, environmental law and international law.
“A law degree is a great introduction to broad areas of leadership -- political leadership, business leadership and civic leadership,” McKinney said. “The IU law school in Indianapolis plays a vital role in developing the leaders Indiana needs to succeed. I am excited to be able to make a commitment that will help the school build on its proud heritage and achieve its goal of being one of the best law schools in the country.”
Originally trained as an engineer, McKinney received his law degree from IU and also holds a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy. Until his retirement in 2005, McKinney served as chairman and CEO of First Indiana Corporation, parent company of First Indiana Bank (now known as M&I Bank). He was also a founding partner of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, an Indianapolis law firm, from which he retired in 1992.
Because of his commitment to community-based banking, McKinney was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to chair multiple federal banking, insurance, mortgage and loan agencies. In that role, McKinney established model non-discrimination regulations and pushed for community investment.
At IU, McKinney served as a trustee from 1989 to 1998 and was president of the Board of Trustees from 1993 to 1994. He was chairman of the Board of Advisors of IUPUI and is currently a director of the IU Foundation. McKinney’s previous gifts to IU include the Robert H. McKinney Law Professorship and the Bose McKinney & Evans Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition, and contributions to the V. Sue Shields Scholarship, all in the IU Maurer School of Law. He has also contributed to the Conservation Law Center and the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
“Bob is absolutely dedicated to excellence and to his community, and expresses that commitment with integrity, loyalty and grace,” said IU Foundation President Gene Tempel. “His gift today stands as a challenge and invitation to others who believe in the mission of the school and the importance of its contributions to the community and the state.”
McKinney’s gift, which will be administered and invested by the IU Foundation, was made through the IUPUI IMPACT campaign, a $1.25 billion fundraising campaign publicly announced in October 2010. As of September 2011, the effort had surpassed the $1 billion mark.
The IU Board of Trustees approved the naming at its October meeting. The name change will be effective as of today, Dec. 1. The school is planning a formal renaming ceremony and celebration to take place in the spring.
