Rule 4 - Committees and Commissions(A)Creation and Duties. (1)Judicial Conference Committees. Indiana Code section 33-38-9-5 permits the Judicial Conference of Indiana to create committees to carry out its business. As directed by the Judicial Conference Board of Directors, each committee shall complete its duties as assigned.(2)Commission on Race and Gender Fairness. The Commission on Race and Gender Fairness shall study the status of race and gender fairness in Indiana's justice system and shall investigate ways to improve race and gender fairness in the courts, legal system, among legal service providers, state and local government, and among public organizations. The Commission shall from time to time recommend to the Supreme Court the implementation of policies and procedures which promote these ends.(3)Language Access Advisory Committee. The Language Access Advisory Committee shall address the issue of providing effective, fair, and efficient language access in Indiana courts, and to present findings and recommendations to the Supreme Court on the best method to meet that challenge within Indiana's judicial system.(4)Advisory Commission on Guardians ad Litem ("GAL")/Court Appointed Special Advocates ("CASA"). The Commission on GAL/CASA shall conduct a continuous study of the GAL/CASA services in Indiana and shall provide support and guidance to the Supreme Court on how best to provide GAL/CASA services. The Commission's charge includes but is not limited to providing a long-range strategy for promoting, expanding, and training child advocacy GAL/CASA programs. The Commission shall from time to time review the GAL/CASA Program Standards and Code of Ethics and make recommendations to the Supreme Court for their improvement. (5) Child Welfare Improvement Committee. The Child Welfare Improvement Committee shall examine ways to improve safety, timely permanency, and wellbeing outcomes for children and families involved in the child welfare system.(6)Domestic Violence Advisory Committee. The Domestic Violence Advisory Committee shall advise and make recommendations to the judicial branch regarding domestic violence issues in the state of Indiana.(7)Records Access and Management Committee. The Records Access and Management Committee shall conduct a continuous study of the practices, procedures, and systems for the maintenance, management, and retention of court records employed by the courts and offices serving the courts of this State. Such study shall include the best practices and policies with respect to online access to electronic court records, with consideration to the purposes articulated in Rules on Access to Court Records. The Committee shall submit to the Supreme Court recommendations for the modernization, improvement, and standardization of such practices, procedures, and systems. The Committee shall encourage suggestions from all interested parties and the public for the improvement of the Records Access and Management system employed by the courts and court agencies, as well as concerns or considerations with respect to the online access to court records. These recommendations shall be submitted in writing to the Indiana Office of Judicial Administration (IOJA).(8)Innovation Committee. The Innovation Committee shall conduct continuous research on justice reform, identify innovative strategies to improve judicial and legal process, and make recommendations to the Supreme Court for best practices surrounding Indiana's judicial system. The Committee shall establish a permanent technology subcommittee and may establish ad hoc subcommittees.(9) Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. The Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure shall conduct a study of any Indiana Rules of Court assigned to them by the Supreme Court and shall submit to the Supreme Court from time to time recommendations in order to promote the just determination of litigation, simplicity in procedure, and the elimination of unjustified expense and delay. The Rules Committee shall also serve as the Evidence Rules Review Committee as set forth in Rule 1101 of the Indiana Rules of Evidence. The Supreme Court shall consider all recommendations and proposed amendments received from the Rules Committee.(10) Coalition for Court Access. The Coalition for Court Access shall act as a legal aid organization to develop and implement a statewide plan to improve the availability and quality of access to civil legal services for persons of limited means. The Coalition shall provide an annual report of its activities to the Supreme Court by August 1 of each year. The Coalition shall operate as a program within the Bar Foundation. The Bar Foundation's authority and responsibility shall include making funding decisions and disbursing available funds to legal aid projects or organizations upon recommendation of the Coalition. (a) The Coalition has the following goals: i. Improvement of the access to and delivery of civil legal services to persons of limited means and low to moderate income. ii. Integration and coordination availability and provision of services by pro bono organizations and other legal assistance organizations. iii. Enhancement of the availability of volunteer legal services for persons of limited means, including without limitation incentivizing greater lawyer pro bono services; and working closely with the Indiana State Bar Association, Indiana Bar Foundation, and other bar associations to foster the growth of pro bono public service and a public service culture within the Indiana bar. iv. Consideration and utilization of a wide variety of programs and policies to increase access to courts, such as strategic use of technology, community education, public libraries, and other similar resources. v. Expansion and promotion of opportunities for lawyers to volunteer their time and services for pro bono work in litigation, mediation, and other dispute resolution programs serving persons of limited means. vi. As may be deemed helpful in the pursuit of the above goals, identification of the current and future needs, outcomes, and trends regarding access to civil legal services by persons of limited means and promotion of ongoing development of financial and other resources for civil legal aid organizations in Indiana.(b) The Coalition has the following powers: i. Undertake those tasks in collaboration with the Bar Foundation which are reasonable and necessary to the fulfillment of the Coalition's purpose; ii. Supervise the district committees subject to the approval of the Bar Foundation; iii. Make funding recommendations to the Bar Foundation in response to district committee plans and funding requests; iv. Declare the office of a member of the Coalition to be vacant in the event such member shall be absent for three consecutive regular meetings of the Coalition; v. Create and dissolve any Coalition committees necessary to assist the Coalition with the accomplishment of its mission and to appoint members to such committees which may include members and non-members of the Coalition; vi. Make recommendations to the Bar Foundation and the Supreme Court for the disbursement of available funds to civil legal aid organizations, programs, initiatives, and projects throughout the State of Indiana; and vii. Collaborate with state and local bar associations and other organizations, their members and various sections and committees to help identify opportunities for them to help support Indiana's civil legal aid network.(B)Meetings and Compensation. Each committee and commission shall meet at the call of the chair and act by vote of a majority of the present members. All members may receive mileage and reimbursement for reasonable expenses. (C)Members. Unless otherwise provided below, each committee or commission listed in this Rule shall consist of judicial officers, and other members as appropriate, appointed by the Supreme Court; members shall serve a three-year term that begins on July 1 of the year of appointment, with a maximum of two terms; and the Chief Justice shall appoint one or more chairs for the committee or commission, with a term lasting for the remainder of their committee or commission appointment. (1)Members of the Commission on Race and Gender Fairness. The commission shall consist of representatives of the Indiana judiciary, the practicing bar, academia, state and local government, public organizations, law enforcement, and corrections. (2)Members of the Advisory Commission on Guardians ad Litem ("GAL")/Court Appointed Special Advocates ("CASA"). The Commission shall consist of eighteen members representative of the Indiana judiciary and directors of certified, volunteer-based GAL/CASA programs. The Commission shall include three GAL/CASA program directors and one member of the judiciary each from four regions of Indiana (North, South, East, and West) and two at-large members of the judiciary. The Commission members shall elect a Chair, Vice-Chair, and other officers at the first meeting of the year. The IOCS GAL/CASA Director shall serve as an ex -officio member of the Commission. (3)Members of the Records Access and Management Committee. The Records Access and Management Committee shall consist of the stakeholders responsible for the management and maintenance of, and access to, the records of the courts throughout the State of Indiana. (a) Permanent members shall consist of a member of the Supreme Court who shall serve as chair of the committee; the Executive Director of the Indiana Public Defender Council; the Executive Director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council; the Clerk of the Appellate Courts; and the Executive Director of the Office of Court Technology. (b) The remaining membership shall consist of judicial officers, circuit court clerks, court administrators, and the practicing bar, including a bar member with legal aid expertise.(4)Members of the Innovation Committee. The Innovation Committee shall consist of representatives of the Indiana judiciary, the practicing bar, academia, state and local government, public organizations, and private enterprise. (a) Permanent members shall consist of the Executive Director of the Indiana State Bar; the Executive Director of the Indiana Public Defender Council; the Executive Director of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council; or their designees. (b) The Executive Director of the Office of Court Technology and the Chief Innovation Officer of IOJA shall serve as ex officio members of the committee. (c) A member who is an appellate or trial court judge shall serve as chair of the technology subcommittee.(5) Members of the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. The Rules Committee shall consist of members of the bar of the State of Indiana. The term of each member shall be for five years, except that a member appointed to fill the vacancy of an unexpired term shall be appointed only for the remainder of the unexpired term. Any member may be removed by the Supreme Court. The members shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson annually. (6) Members of the Coalition for Court Access. The Coalition for Court Access shall consist of twenty-one members representative of the different geographic regions and judicial districts of the state and possessing the skills and experience relative to the needs of the Coalition. The officers of the Coalition shall consist of a chair, vice-chair, and secretary. The Supreme Court shall appoint the chair of the Coalition, who shall serve without term limits. The Coalition shall elect a vice-chair and secretary annually. The Coalition may establish other officers as it deems appropriate. (a) In addition to the chair, the Supreme Court shall appoint ten members, including one trial judge and one appellate judge; four members from different pro bono organizations or other civil legal assistance organizations, including at least two members from a statewide civil legal assistance organization or a civil legal assistance organization that provides services in multiple Indiana counties; two members from a local or minority bar association; and two members from Indiana law schools accredited by the American Bar Association. (b) The Chair of the Indiana Bar Foundation Board shall appoint six members, including two members of the Indiana State Bar Association; two members of the Indiana Bar Foundation; one member of the Indiana State Bar Association Pro Bono Committee; and one member from a non-governmental organization that serves the non-legal needs of low-income Hoosiers. (c) The President of the Indiana State Bar Association shall appoint two members, including an attorney in private or corporate practice and an attorney working in a social or human services organization. (d) The Executive Director of the Indiana State Bar Association and the President/CEO of the Indiana Bar Foundation, or their designees, shall serve as voting members of the Coalition without term limits. The appointing authority shall fill any vacancy caused by resignation, removal, or otherwise, as it occurs, for the remainder of the vacated term. Any member who fills a vacancy will be eligible to serve an additional two full consecutive terms after completing the vacant term.
Adopted effective 9/19/1983; amended Nov. 1, 1991, effective 1/1/1992; amended Dec. 5, 1994, effective 2/1/1995; amended effective 11/18/1999; amended Sept. 10, 2007, effective 1/1/2008; amended Sept. 20, 2011, effective 1/1/2012; amended Sept. 13, 2013, effective 1/1/2014; amended effective 11/20/2014; amended May 17, 2016, effective 5/17/2016; further amended Dec. 14, 2016, effective 1/1/2017; amended Nov. 1, 2017, effective 1/1/2018; amended April 29, 2019, effective 4/29/2019; amended November 15, 2019, effective 1/1/2020; amended December 19, 2019, effective 1/1/2020; amended July 7, 2023, effective 7/7/2023; amended Jan. 4, 2024, effective 1/4/2024; amended April 3, 2024, effective 4/3/2024.