The Bar Leader Series for Early-Career Professionals

We are now taking applications for Bar Leader Class XXIII who will start their intensive year-long leadership development program designed specifically for early career professionals in September 2026. Designed for IndyBar member attorneys in their third to tenth year of practice, the series prepares talented and diverse early-career lawyers to take their places as both leaders in the legal profession and leaders in addressing needs of the community.  Structured by Robert H. McKinney School of Law faculty member and former Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan, the series will feature an impressive array of community leaders bringing their uniquely informed perspective to the class. 

Applying for Bar Leader Series
The application period for the 2026-2027 Bar Leader Series session is now open. The opening session of Class XXIII will be an overnight retreat September 10-11, 2026 at The Waycross Conference Center located in the Hoosier National Forest.  

Access application form here. Apply now thru July 2, 2026.

2026-2027 Series Schedule
Overnight Retreat: 10 a.m., Thursday, September 10, 2026 through lunch Friday, September 11 at the Waycross Conference Center located in the Hoosier National Forest. Overnight accommodations and meals are included in the registration fees.

Schedule of the bi-monthly sessions which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. from November 2026 thru July 2027 (schedule subject to change in communication with the class).

• Tuesday, November 3, 2026
• Tuesday, January 5, 2027
• Tuesday, March 2, 2027
• Tuesday, May 4, 2027
• Tuesday, July 6, 2027

A closing celebration/graduation will be held in August 2027 at a date and location to be determined.

Why should I consider applying?

You will benefit personally and professionally and will be better prepared for leadership opportunities and challenges. You will have a chance to meet and interact with prominent legal and community leaders, develop leadership skills, explore long-term opportunities for leadership and form a lifelong network. The Bar Leader Series experience will connect you with issues, thought leaders, and organizations crucial to our city’s success. 

Examples of topics/issues from previous class sessions:

• Access to legal services
• Crime
• Early childhood education and public education
• Food insecurity
• Health care
• Housing and homelessness
• Non-profit volunteer leadership
• Offender re-entry
• Personal leadership skills
• Police-community relations

How does it work?
The series begins with a two-day retreat in September 2026. Subsequent sessions are bi-monthly at IndyBarHQ from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Each session features substantive presentations, round table conversation and small group discussion by local leaders, some earning CLE credit, and leadership development curriculum. The cost is $1,350 per person (installment payment available). Up to six scholarships are also available cutting the registration fee by 50%. Scholarship recipients are selected by the planning committee.