News Archive

IU McKinney Professor Joel Schumm, J.D. ’98, presented during the Rural Justice and Public Health Summit. The event took place in Wabash, Indiana, on October 13.

The summit addressed issues like deinstitutionalization and the Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council, public safety and wellbeing, criminal justice and behavioral health, and funding resources, among others.

Professor Schumm presented “Meeting the Legal Needs in Rural Communities” with Judge Melissa May, J.D. ’84, of the Indiana Court of Appeals. Their presentation highlighted the need for more attorneys to serve in rural communities and what Indiana’s law schools and other entities are doing to address the issue. Professor Schumm discussed IU McKinney’s Supporting Rural Justice Initiative. The effort began in 2019 by placing students with judges in rural counties but has since expanded to include placement of rising third-year students as certified legal interns with prosecutor and public defender offices in rural counties. Law students commit to working at least 200 hours for which they receive three experiential learning credits and a $4,000 stipend. The IU Maurer School of Law also has a Supporting Rural Justice Initiative program.

The summit was a partnership between the Indiana Supreme Court, Wabash County Bar Association, Association of Indiana Counties, Court of Appeals of Indiana, Defense Trial Council of Indiana, Indiana University, Indiana Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council, Indiana Department of Health, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness Indiana, and the Office of Governor Holcomb.