Indiana’s Lawyer Shortage

The future of Indiana’s legal landscape – Addressing Indiana’s lawyer shortage

In April of 2024, the Indiana Supreme Court established the Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future, charging it with exploring solutions to the state’s growing attorney shortage. The issue is pressing: as of 2024, Indiana ranked 43rd in the nation for lawyers per capita, with just 2.26 attorneys for every 1,000 residents.

The Commission identified three major problems driving this shortage:

1. The aging attorney population,

2. The geographic distribution of attorneys, and

3. The structure of Indiana’s attorney production pipeline.

A Shrinking and Aging Legal Workforce

Indiana not only has fewer attorneys overall, but many of those still practicing are nearing retirement. The impact is especially severe in rural counties, some of which have only five or fewer practicing lawyers to serve entire communities.

The Law School Pipeline Problem

Currently, Indiana has three law schools, each with distinct outcomes for the state’s legal workforce:

· IU Maurer School of Law (Bloomington): Graduates about 170 students annually, but only 38%osit for Indiana’s July bar exam.

· Notre Dame Law School (South Bend): Graduates about 180 students, most are from outside of Indiana. Only 8%take Indiana’s July bar.

· IU McKinney School of Law (Indianapolis): Graduates up to 245 annually, with most being Indiana residents. Here 74 % sit for the state’s July bar, making it the largest contributor to Indiana’s legal pipeline.

The shortage was further exacerbated by the closure of the Valparaiso University School of Law in 2020, which once supplied nearly 18 percent of Indiana’s bar applicants.

Proposed Solution

In its report, the Commission put forth several strategies to expand access to legal services and support new lawyers, including:

1. Allowing legal entities to propose non-traditional legal service models as pilot programs.

2. Amending residency requirements for municipal departments.

3. Easing licensing restrictions for out-of-state attorneys seeking admission in Indiana.

4. Directing the Coalition for Court Access to work with legal aid providers to secure professional liability coverage for pro bono attorneys.

Looking ahead, the Commission expects some of its recommendations to take effect in 2025. These include the Legal Practice Startup Subsidy, a grant program to help lawyers establish law firms in high need areas, as well as expanding student loan support and scholarship opportunities for lawyers serving in legal deserts.

A Complex but Urgent Path Forward

There is no single solution to Indiana’s attorney shortage. Instead, the Commission is pursuing a multi-pronged approach designed to strengthen the legal pipeline, expand service models, and ensure that all Hoosiers, urban and rural alike, have access to essential legal support.

McNeelyLaw is a full-service law firm with offices in Shelbyville, Indianapolis, and Carmel. We proudly serve clients throughout the state. For assistance with your legal needs, contact one of our experienced attorneys at McNeelyLaw LLP by calling (317) 825-5110.

The material used to produce this summary is the Final Report of the Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future, published July 1, 2025, and viewable at: https://www.in.gov/courts/admin/files/legal-future-final-report.pdf

This McNeelyLaw LLP publication should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion of any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own lawyer on any specific legal questions you may have concerning your situation.