Applied Research Practicum: Legal Systems in Indiana
Hands‑on, interdisciplinary work building real access‑to‑justice solutions in partnership with Indiana courts and regulators.
The Applied Research Practicum (ARP) is a collaborative effort between the Maurer School of Law and the Kelley School of Business that places students inside some of the most significant legal system reforms underway in Indiana. Working directly with courts, regulators, and community partners, students conduct applied research that informs real regulatory change and builds new infrastructure to expand access to legal services for low‑ and moderate‑income Hoosiers.
The problem
Indiana faces a dual challenge: a growing access‑to‑justice gap and a critical shortage of attorneys, especially in rural and lower‑income communities. Large numbers of Hoosiers confront family, housing, debt, and related legal problems without affordable help, while overburdened lawyers routinely turn away lower‑value matters that cannot support traditional fee structures. Recognizing this mismatch, the Indiana Supreme Court has adopted regulatory reforms that allow new service models—most notably the use of Allied Legal Professionals (ALPs) and a new nonprofit law firm model—to expand capacity while protecting quality and accountability.
Student impact
Year 1 (2024-25): Student teams completed a seven‑county stakeholder and market analysis in southern Indiana, generating original data on attorney shortages and unmet legal need that informed Indiana Supreme Court deliberations. Students presented these findings to several Indiana Supreme Court Justices, members of the Supreme Court's innovation committee, and other stakeholders. Results can be found at the Indiana Law Journal article linked here.
Year 2 (2025-26): Building on last year’s findings, current students are developing the foundational infrastructure for a nonprofit law firm designed to pilot in Monroe County and six surrounding counties and, if successful, be replicated statewide with tools and knowledge shared across Indiana’s access‑to‑justice community.
What You’ll Learn and Do:
Working in supervised, interdisciplinary teams, students:
- Engage directly with courts and community partners by observing proceedings and mapping real legal workflows; Conduct interviews with judges, attorneys, court staff, and organizations to assess unmet legal need and system capacity
- Apply qualitative and quantitative research methods to analyze legal service models and case trends in areas of high legal need
- Design workflows, process maps, and implementation tools supporting active Indiana Supreme Court initiatives
- Produce professional research, writing, and presentations used by regulators, courts, and service providers beyond the classroom
Get Involved
Interested in participating, partnering, or learning more? Contact Project Manager Bella Bennett at ismabenn@iu.edu or by phone at 812-856-5661.
