The IndianaState Bar Association is a voluntary bar association for the state of Indiana. Unlike some state bar associations, in which membership is mandatory, ISBA membership is not required of lawyers licensed to practice in Indiana, and ISBA membership is totally voluntary. The ISBA is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It includes among its members lawyers, judges, paralegals, law librarians, law students, and court administrators. About 85% of the practicing lawyers in the state are members.
History
The ISBA began on 23 June 1896 in the hall of the Indiana House of Representatives with more than 100 lawyers present. Benjamin Harrison served as the Association's first president and remains the only two-term president in its history. Three years earlier he had concluded his service as the nation's 23rd president and returned to his law practice in Indiana.
About
As the largest legal organization in Indiana, the Indiana State Bar Association empowers its members to thrive professionally and personally. It works to find solutions to members’ professional challenges, connect them with others in the profession across the state, and advocate on behalf of the profession. ISBA is a voluntary bar—unlike many other states with mandatory bars—meaning licensed attorneys are not required to be members. Subsequently, the association does not oversee attorney Continuing Legal Education, discipline, or licensing. The Indiana Supreme Court oversees these responsibilities, allowing the ISBA to act as an independent voice of its members. The ISBA is governed by members elected to its House of Delegates, Board of Governors, and Executive Committee. An Executive Director and staff execute administrative duties in accordance with ISBA’s governance.
Organization and activities
The ISBA is the largest legal organization in the state. With approximately 12,000 members, the ISBA continues to serve and advocate on behalf of its members, their clients, and the public as the independent voice of the legal profession. ISBA does not handle matters such as law licensing or complaints against lawyers; these are within the purview of the Indiana Court System. Among the ISBA's publications are the Res Gestae and various newsletters by its sections. Res Gestae began in 1956 when ISBA President Tom Scanlon created a publications committee to upgrade The Bulletin, a mimeographed newsletter, which, in fact, was a legal-size sheet of paper that was nothing more than a calendar. Volunteer lawyer-editors and a small bar staff went to work, and the newly named Res Gestae was published, for the first time, in November of that year.
Indiana Registered Paralegal Program
Beginning in 2015, the Indiana State Bar Association started a registry for its paralegal members. For paralegals who aspire to a higher goal, the Indiana Registered Paralegal status will both recognize and convey a person’s commitment to competence with the emphasis on professional education and minimum standards for the profession. An applicant seeking the ISBA’s Indiana Registered Paralegal status must meet certain education or credential criteria. Upon approval, the paralegal will become an Indiana Registered Paralegal and identify said status with the initials “IRP” following his or her name.
