Chief Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson announced Feb. 12 that the court anticipates the resumption of in-person jury trials in all divisions of the Southern District of Indiana on Monday, April 5, 2021. Additionally, the clerk's offices in all divisions will reopen to the public on Feb. 16, 2021.

As a small firm practitioner who makes her money by providing personal legal services, networking is vital for the continued source of clients I need to support my business and keep my associates busy. Planning committees, non-profit boards, volunteering, social gatherings and local events were my go-to formula for expanding my circles and getting my name and face in front of people who needed to hire a lawyer for highly personal and sometimes sensitive reasons. They needed to have met me in person. They needed my name to come from someone they knew and trusted. At least, that is what I believed to be the only way, until that way no longer existed.

We hope you're well-rested after the long weekend! We have a full calendar full of webinars this week that are packed with information you won't want to miss, like vaccinations in the workplace, updates from the Indiana legislature and more. Check it out here!

The Indianapolis Bar Association is proud to offer complimentary access to "Widening Your View: Understanding Implicit Bias, Microaggressions and Your Professional Responsibility" for members during Black History Month.

The practice-area specific Bill Watch reports for Feb. 5 are now available. The reports highlight the pending bills of particular concern to different sections within the bar.

We're connecting with multiple lawyer-legislators this week for the inside scoop on the 2021 Indiana General Assembly (and a CLE credit!) Plan to join us for the Lawyer-Legislator Update on Wednesday, and see the upcoming calendar and the latest IndyBar news here.

Whether you are just getting started or lateraling to a new firm, navigating the day-to-day office relationships and a new routine can be overwhelming and outright intimidating. Throw in COVID-19 social distancing rules, masks, elbow bumps, Zoom, etc. and it’s not an easy task.

While the IndyBar and Indianapolis Bar Foundation’s successes are due in large part to the generosity and dedication of our community, the leadership, boards, and staff pirouetted through the minefields of 2020 like a barefoot parent dodging Legos on a hardwood floor.

We certainly are living in some stressful times right now. With the political climate, COVID-19, working from home, home schooling our kids, travel restrictions, inability to visit family and friends and the fact that we are home ALL the time can really cause extra stress on all of us.

With the ongoing distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, both employers and employees will likely face questions regarding their rights and best practices regarding vaccinations in the workplace. An upcoming Indianapolis Bar Association webinar will address these concerns, and a special registration rate has been made available for non-lawyer participants.