Scholarships and student loan repayment, advanced court technology, small claims court changes and expanded legal education — those are some of the recommendations of an Indiana Supreme Court commission tasked with facing the state's attorney shortage.
As of 2024, Indiana ranked 43rd out of 50 states for lawyers per capita. The final report from the Commission on Indiana's Legal Future said the answer to that crisis is not as simple as "more lawyers." Instead, it said it requires "a complete reevaluation of how legal services are provided."
Some initial recommendations made last year and further potential solutions offered now would require funding. That includes scholarships for law students who commit to becoming public defenders or deputy prosecutors and student loan repayment for public sector attorneys.
The commission also said, given state and federal budget issues, private and nonprofit sector funding sources must be explored.
READ MORE: Indiana Supreme Court commission recommends measures to help attorney shortage
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Other recommendations include raising the monetary limit on what cases go to small claims court — and thus, don't require a lawyer. The current limit is $10,000; the commission suggested increasing that to $25,000, though it acknowledged there could be other issues created by increasing that limit.
The report also suggests judges could use AI-based transcription and drafting tools to help streamline administrative tasks. And it recommends improved legal education pipelines in high schools and undergraduate higher education programs.
The public can comment on the commission's final report online at the Indiana Courts website by Aug. 29, 2025 at 12 p.m.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
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