| Creator: | Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory |
| Title: | Legal Profession in Indiana |
| Collection No.: | ohrc113 |
| Dates: | 1976-1980 |
| Quantity: |
Quantity: 6 Interview (Audio files, transcripts, and collateral materials ) |
| Abstract: | This project contains interviews with attorneys in Indiana. Among the topics discussed are the Indiana Judiciary System, the Indiana General Assembly, the United States Legislature, the United States Supreme Court, the Monroe County judiciary system and Monroe County politics. All interviewees reflect upon the public's perception of the legal profession and how is has changed over the years. |
| Location: | Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030A. Contact ohrc@indiana.edu for more information. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office. |
| Language: | Materials are in English . |
| Repository: | Center for Documentary Research and Practice Franklin Hall 0030B 601 E. Kirkwood Avenue Bloomington, Indiana 47405 Business Number: 812-855-2856 ohrc@indiana.edu URL: https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu/ |
This collection contains six interviews conducted from 1976 to 1980. The interviews range from 75 minutes to 9 hours, 30 minutes. All interviews consist of audio tapes and most have typed transcripts.
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier (pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript (deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview. Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University, Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
No(s): 76-058
Physical Description: 49 pages; 1 reel, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Judge William H. Andrews, III, born June 7, 1934, discusses his educational background, family history, and career as an attorney and judge in Monroe County, Indiana. He attended school throughout his life, mostly in Bloomington. For his undergraduate degree he attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, and returned to Bloomington to earn a law degree from Indiana University School of Law. He then served in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps at Fairchild Air Force Base. After returning to Bloomington he started his own private practice. Mr. Andrews was the elected city judge for Bloomington, Indiana from 1972-1976. He speaks of the general state of the legal profession in Indiana, and the services the Indiana Bar Association provides. He discusses the public's perception of the legal profession. Mr. Andrews speaks of his tenure on the bench as the city judge for Bloomington, Indiana. He describes the typical work week as a judge, the kinds of cases he tried, and his sentencing philosophy. Mr. Andrews speaks of the programs he started as the city judge: a small claims court, a bond program, an alcohol rehabilitation program, a probation officer program, and the earned dismissal program. Mr. Andrews also discusses of the judicial system in Indiana and how its different branches relate to each other.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 76-056
Physical Description: 38 pages; 1 reel, 1 7/8 ips, 90 minutes; no index; newspaper article about interviewee
Scope and Content Note: Leroy Baker outlines his life history and gives his perceptions of some aspects of the legal profession in Indiana. He discusses growing up an a farm in Dearborn County, Indiana, and moving to Bloomington, Indiana in the 1920s to attend Indiana University School of Law. After earning his law degree he began a private practice in Bloomington. During the Great Depression he was the prosecuting attorney for Monroe and Owen Counties. He was also a member of the Indiana National Guard, and during World War II spent some time in Hawaii and the Philippines. After the war Mr. Baker returned to Bloomington to his private practice. He describes the Indiana Bar Association and its role in disciplining attorneys. He discusses the structure of the judicial system in Indiana and the changes that have been made over the years. He discusses major social events and their impact on law in Indiana, such as Prohibition, the Great Depression, the Ku Klux Klan, the Cold War, and the Miranda law. Mr. Baker ends the interview by giving his impression of the state of the legal profession in Indiana.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 77-021
Physical Description: 71 pages; 2 reels, 1 7/8 ips, 170 minutes; no index; Elkhart, Indiana political office application
Scope and Content Note: William Bontrager, attorney and judge in Elkhart, Indiana, discusses the legal profession in Indiana. He first outlined his childhood and educational background, culminating in a law degree from the Indiana University School of Law. He discusses his father's, D. Russell Bontrager, career in the law. He reflects upon the success and actions of the Indiana Bar Association. He discusses the public's perceptions of the legal profession in Indiana. Mr. Bontrager describes the powers and procedures of the courts in Elkhart, Indiana and the rest of the state. He describes his appointment to the Indiana Board of Corrections, focusing on the innovations and challenges of the correctional system in Indiana. He outlines criminal rehabilitation programs like work release, shock probation, and probation. He discusses correctional facilities and their relationship to the community they are located in. He discusses the interactions between the Board of Corrections, the Department of Corrections, and the governor's office. Mr. Bontrager finally reflects on the political aspects of his tenure as judge in Elkhart, and the public's influence on a judge's decision making process.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 79-061
Physical Description: untranscribed; 5 reels, 1 7/8 ips, 9 hours, 30 minutes; no index; interviewer's question sheets; article on interviewee's election as president to the American Bar Association; article about faculty tenure; news release about interviewee's receipt of Washington University's distinguished alumni award; listing in directory of interviewee; report of 1959 nominating attorney general's committee on administrative procedure; article about interviewee from American Association of University Professors Bulletin ; page from Indiana University Midwestern Pioneer mentioning interviewee; article about Indiana Civil Liberties Union
Scope and Content Note: Ralph F. Fuchs, professor emeritus from the Indiana University School of Law, discusses the legal profession in Indiana. He outlines his childhood and educational background. He speaks of his time practicing law in St. Louis, Missouri, and teaching at Washington University. He discusses his activities with the American Association of University Professors. Professor Fuchs discusses the concept of academic freedom, its importance in educational philosophy, and McCarthyism's impact on academic freedom. He outlines his work for the government on both a state and federal level. He speaks of his involvement with the American Civil Liberties Union, the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, and the Bloomington Civil Liberties Union. He describes his work with the United States Solicitor General's Office and the United State Supreme Court, outlining some of the cases he worked on. Professor Fuchs ends the interview describing how he would like to be remembered.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 76-065
Physical Description: 60 pages; 2 reels; 1 7/8 ips; 145 minutes; no index
Scope and Content Note: Monroe County Circuit Court judge Nat Hill discusses his involvement with the legal profession in Indiana. He grew up in Bloomington, Indiana and attended the Indiana University School of Business and School of Law. He discusses his reasons for running for the circuit court and some of the details of his campaigns. He describes the Indiana judicial system and the Monroe County judicial system. Judge Hill reflects on the changing nature of the legal profession in Indiana, which he feels is becoming more difficult and cumbersome. He describes the sharp increase in criminal cases he has seen in his court over the years, which he feels is partially due to the "drug culture." He talks of political party activity in Bloomington, Indiana, and the difference between the Democratic Party and Republican Party. He discusses his reasons for being a member of the Republican party. He reflects on the decline of the stone industry in southern Indiana. He ends the interview describing his interests in horse racing and his opinions on pari-mutuel gambling, which he feels would greatly benefit the Indiana economy if the legislature made it legal.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 76-064
Physical Description: 32 pages; 1 reel, 1 7/8 ips; 75 minutes; no index
Scope and Content Note: David Rogers, born in Bloomington, Indiana in July 1928, discusses his involvement with the legal profession in Indiana. He outlines his educational background, which included a law degree from Indiana University School of Law. He discusses his private practice in Bloomington, Indiana regarding the types of clients he has and the prices he charges them for services provided. He talks about his experiences in the Indiana General Assembly. He describes the structure and function of the general assembly and the changes that have happened over the years. Mr. Rogers also describes the changes that the legal profession in Indiana has undergone through the years, and the public's perception of attorneys. He also describes the political make-up of Bloomington, Indiana and how the Republican Party and Democratic Party interact.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open