Indiana corporation and partnership law education and training will teach you how to create business entities such as a Indiana incorporation or limited liability company (LLC). It is especially important for attorneys who specialize in corporation and partnership law to understand the tax implications for a Indiana LLC and corporation.

The requirements needed to practice Indiana corporate law are determined by the state and may depend on the specific type of corporation law you wish to practice. A legal education in corporate law has three general phases:

1. The practice of Indiana LLC law requires a law degree. Practicing attorneys will generally require a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school approved by the state of Indiana.
2. An aspiring lawyer will need to pass a bar exam that is administered by the state. A background check will also be performed along with a character and fitness evaluation.
3. The lawyer must apply to Indiana’s licensing authority and pay the required fees. The admittee then takes an oath to comply with the rules regarding the practice of law in Indiana.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Complete the formal education needed to learn about LLC law in Indiana

There are a variety of universities in Indiana that grant J.D. degrees recognized by the state of Indiana. The required courses must be updated to keep up with changes in corporate law.

I recommend: The Maurer School of Law at the Indiana University offers a J.D. degree and several advanced law degrees. Valparaiso University is accredited by the American Bar Association and has a three year J.D. program.

Gain admission to the bar in order to form an Indiana limited liability company

As an Indiana corporate lawyer, your clients will frequently wish to form corporations or partnerships with their businesses. Indiana has specific bar exam requirements and also allows lawyers licensed in other states to practice law in Indiana through reciprocity agreements.

I recommend: The Indianapolis Bar Association offers a summary of the format for the bar exam in Indiana. Pass The Bar.com provides the subject matter and scoring weight of each section of the Indiana bar exam.

Obtain the additional requirements needed to practice Indiana corporation law

Get licensing information necessary for a career in Indiana corporation law. An attorney in Indiana must also meet that state's continuing legal education (CLE) requirements in order to renew a license to practice law.

I recommend: The Indiana Board of Law Examiners provides an overview of the admission requirements for the Indiana state bar. The Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum provides extensive information on meeting the CLE requirements in Indiana.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider a Master of Laws (LLM) degree as a means of distinguishing yourself from other attorneys who practice Indiana partnership law. An LLM is a postgraduate law degree that generally requires an additional year of study at a law school. Graduates from regional schools frequently obtain an LLM in order to compete with graduates from more highly ranked law schools. This is also an excellent opportunity to begin specializing in corporate law.

Indiana corporate law gives necessary parameters for Indiana incorporation. Indiana incorporation takes your business to the next level. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or a business with less than 10 employees, Indiana corporate law is there to protect your rights as a business owner.

Indiana partnership law serves business owners by providing tax incentives and tax rebates for business expenditures and start up costs. Indiana corporation law also protects the employer/employee relationship by helping business owners meet state labor standards.

Indiana partnership law meets the needs of small businesses wanting to form partnerships between business owners. Laws protecting the rights of individual partners within a business or firm help a Indiana corporation or Indiana LLC. Indiana LLC law and Indiana corporation laws will:

1. Provide tax benefits for both small and large businesses by adhering to Indiana corporate law.

2. Offer protections only available to corporations and LLCs.

3. Protect your investment through appropriate state licensing and compliance with Indiana corporation law.

4. Establish your firm or business as a serious competitor in your field.

Action Steps
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Use a professional web based corporation company to incorporate in Indiana

Corporation companies specialize in handling the documents you need to set up a Indiana LLC. Indiana LLCs get up and running faster by using companies designed to help business owners understand Indiana corporation laws and partnership law. These filing companies do not provide legal services or consultations of any kind, so make sure you understand your articles of incorporation before submitting the appropriate paperwork.

I recommend: Active Filings and LegalZoom are both online incorporation services with competitive prices for filing corporation documents in Indiana.

Visit the Secretary of State for help with incorporation in Indiana

Indiana, like other states, doesn't require legal representation to set up an LLC. The Indiana Secretary of State's office provides documents and fee schedules for business incorporation. Indiana business owners need only to file the appropriate paperwork for their type of corporation and pay the corresponding fees.

I recommend: Visit the website for the Indiana Secretary of State for information on how to incorporate in Indiana. Visit MyCorporation for additional information about Indiana corporation and partnership law.

Hire an attorney specializing in setting up an Indiana limited liability company or corporation

This is the most expensive way to go when thinking about incorporation, but the advantages of having a professional do the work for you far outweigh the cost. An experienced corporate law attorney helps you understand the language of your incorporation.

I recommend: Cohen Garelick & Glazier, A Professional Corporation and Harrison & Moberly, LLP, both of Indianapolis, are experts in the area of Indiana corporation registration and formation.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Determine what type of corporation is right for you. Talk to your advisor or attorney about the different type of corporations available, their functions and which one best suits your business needs.

In order to maintain a legal and legit business, you must abide by Indiana corporation and partnership law, including Indiana corporation registration, maintaining annual reports, producing and signing the correct documents and conducting business in an ethical and legal manner. Whether you’re a business owner or an attorney representing businesses in your local area, knowledge of Indiana LLC law and other corporate law is essential.

Degree programs and classes are where to start, especially as a corporate attorney. However, laws are constantly changing, whether through how the courts interpret them or by amendments and new laws, so it’s important to be aware of Indiana corporation and partnership law news and trends, in addition to your basic knowledge. Consider these options for stating updated:

1. Indiana corporation law attorneys provide relevant information on blog posts.

2. Newsletter and other publication subscriptions on Indiana partnership law will provide periodic updates.

3. It never hurts to read the actual Indiana business corporation law .

Action Steps
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Read attorney blogs on Indiana corporations and the laws that govern them

As a business owner, reading blog posts written by corporate attorneys is a great way to maintain free knowledge of developments in Indiana corporate law. As an attorney, these same blog posts can provide you with a means of networking with other attorneys in your field and seeing how they interpret and apply those same laws.

I recommend: The Law Office of Brian V Powers and Attorney Sam Hasler provide active, relevant and reliable Indiana business law blogs.

Subscribe to publications on Indiana LLC, partnership and other corporate laws

While blog posts provide a more causal and opinionated approach to business laws, newsletters, even when produced by law firms, are more thorough and formal in the information provided. Newsletters and articles will address how the courts interpret the law in specific cases, updates or new laws and an article or two providing free legal advice on how to conduct your business in a law-abiding manner.

I recommend: Lewis & Kappes provides a Business Organizations Newsletter, available through email subscription. Read articles on business law provided by Dann Pecar Newman & Kleiman.

Go directly to the source when incorporating a business in Indiana

While the recommendation is that you hire an attorney to incorporate a business in Indiana, it can still be of great benefit to your company if you read the laws governing businesses on your own. It also doesn't hurt to visit state-run business websites, because you can be certain that the information they provide is very accurate and reliable.

I recommend: The Indiana Secretary of State provides a guide for starting a business in Indiana. This guide has a basis in the current laws governing the incorporation of an Indiana business and will likely see updates if any of those laws change. Of course, another option is to read the corporate laws yourself, under Title 23 of the Indiana Code provided by the Indiana General Assembly.