STATEHOUSE (Feb. 4, 2025) – State Rep. Michael Aylesworth's (R-Hebron) resolution to relax residency requirements for city or town judges to address shortages recently passed the Indiana House of Representatives.
According to an American Bar Association study, there are only 2.3 lawyers for every 1,000 Hoosiers, ranking Indiana 43th compared to other states. Nearly half of Indiana's 16,000 lawyers are located in or around Indianapolis, limiting rural communities' access to legal services.
"Lawyers who could later serve as judges have become increasingly scarce in more rural areas of the state," Aylesworth said. "With older lawyers retiring and not enough new ones to replace them, rural communities are limited when it comes to legal services."
Indiana's constitution currently requires a city or town court judge to live in the county in which they work. Aylesworth said House Joint Resolution 1 would add an amendment to make county residency less restrictive, allowing city and town judges to live in bordering counties closest to the city or town in which the court is located.
Since House Joint Resolution 1 requires an amendment to the state constitution, it must be passed twice by two different general assemblies. House Joint Resolution 1 was originally passed in 2023 in the 123rd General Assembly and will now go to the Senate for further consideration. To learn more and follow legislative proceedings, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) represents House District 11,
which includes portions of Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
