It's finally here: the Bench Bar Conference is this week! We've also got a CLE on Wednesday's docket you won't want to miss. See IndyBar happenings and catch up on the latest news here.

Need advice on how to make this year’s Bench Bar Conference the best one ever? IndyBar member and longtime attendee of the Bench Bar Conference Claire Emswiller is here to answer your inquiries, dish out advice and get everyone ready to get back down to Louisville and enjoy a few days with your friends.

Due to an AC malfunction, IndyBarHQ will be closed for the remainder of the day (Tues., 6/8). We apologize for any inconvenience and plan to reopen on Wednesday, June 9.

We can't believe the Bench Bar Conference is NEXT WEEK! Before we ship off to Louisville, we've got a couple events you won't want to miss this week. See the calendar and catch up on IndyBar news here.

Through the Virtual Ask a Lawyer program, individuals can chat in real time with an attorney who is prepared to assist with basic legal questions. The service, regularly available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, will be available for extended hours through 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8. 

A selection committee acting on behalf of the Indianapolis Bar Association and the Foundation has announced the selection of Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana as a recipient of the IndyBar's prestigious Luminary Award of Excellence. Chief Judge Pratt will be honored at the 2021 IndyBar Bench Bar Conference in Louisville, Kentucky on June 19.

I think we can all agree it would have been better if we had never heard of COVID-19. But I am grateful that its emergence gave us the ability to slow down (albeit briefly, because now we seem to be going at break-neck speed!) and really assess our business needs. Through it, we learned we don’t need a large office with all the overhead that goes along with it. We can serve our clients just as well from our home offices while still having the ability to meet in person when needed.

We hope you're well-rested after the long holiday weekend! Check out what's going on at the IndyBar this week and read recent news here.

The latest legal scoop to keep you in the loop: Here are the top five stories from the IndyBar this month.

Eric Buetens is a retired Florida attorney transplanted to Indiana, but most would say based on the pro bono pace he keeps that he is not really retired. Remarkably, Eric logged a whopping 1,300 hours of pro bono services in 2020.