As 2020 ticks to a close, IndyBar sections and divisions are in the process of evaluating their committee rosters and determining vacancies for 2021. Now is the perfect time to indicate your interest in serving on a committee. While space is limited, every effort will be made to involve anyone expressing interest in some capacity.

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected the Trump Administration’s attempt to suspend a regulation that more than doubled fines for automakers failing to meet corporate fuel efficiency requirements. In 2016, under the Obama Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) increased fines from $5.50 to $14 for every 0.1 mile per gallon that new cars and trucks fell short of national fuel economy standards.

The nomination period has begun for the 2021 Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Bar Association, and Kelley Johnson of the Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson LLP  has been appointed to chair the effort. Johnson, who is a past president of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, will lead a committee of members in selecting a slate of officers for the coming year.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is looking to replace its current Remediation Closure Guide. The technical document that has governed and guided investigation, remediation, and closure objectives for the last eight years will be replaced by the “Risk-Based Closure Guide.” While an exact date is unknown, a preliminary draft of the new technical guidance – nicknamed “R2” – has been circulated throughout the environmental industry to consultants, counsel and contractors for feedback.

Many schools throughout the Indianapolis area have chosen to push back their start dates or have an all virtual start, and it's possible that local or state officials will eventually mandate that all schools follow suit. This fall will bring even more uncertainty into our lives as we send our children back to school. So, what is a working parent to do?

The brand new IndyBarHQ facility, opened in 2020, boasts meeting spaces now available for reservation! Our flexible meeting rooms feature state-of-the art technology, reliable wi-fi connectivity and easy access via private street-level entrances.

The pandemic—and shift to remote work—is speeding up a shift that has been years in the making.

On June 3, 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration of three dicamba herbicides: XtendiMax (Bayer), Engenia (BASF) and FeXapan (Corteva). After five long days of uncertainty, the EPA issued a cancellation order for the chemicals late on June 8, 2020. The agency will, however, permit growers and commercial applicators to use existing stocks of the three herbicides.

The IndyBar exists to serve members of the legal profession, and through our members we serve the community. Lawyers are problem-solvers, defenders of the rule of law. We spend our days seeking to improve the lives of our clients and our communities. We have an opportunity and a privilege to help. 

The COVID-19 public health emergency is a rapidly evolving situation. This website has been established in order to provide the public, the regulated community and other government agencies with the most complete and up to date information on EPA enforcement and compliance policy and actions related to COVID-19.