About Us

Heartland Pro Bono Council was founded in 2002 after the Indiana Supreme Court implemented the statewide voluntary attorney pro bono plan. Heartland is responsible for eight counties in central Indiana: Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan and Shelby. Heartland refers low-income individuals with civil legal needs to volunteer attorneys. In addition to client intake and referral to pro bono attorneys, Heartland provides support services to its attorney volunteers, including free legal training, malpractice insurance, Lexus/Nexus research, mentoring, mediation, paralegal and law student support and reimbursement of expenses. People seeking legal advice can telephone Heartland and receive answers to their legal and procedural questions.

Heartland Pro Bono Council is a not-for-profit corporation with a board of directors consisting of local attorneys, former clients, legal aid providers, bar associations, paralegals and community representatives. Heartland recruits, trains and recognizes attorneys who represent indigent civil clients who would otherwise go unrepresented.

Heartland’s chairman and President, appointed by Chief Justice Randall Shepard, is the Honorable William J. Hughes, Judge of Hamilton Superior Court No. 3. Heartland is staffed by Plan Administrator Laurie Beltz Boyd, an attorney with years of experience in many areas of the law, who has been employed with Heartland since 2002. Ayesha Johnson is Heartland’s intake attorney who answers legal questions, refers people to the appropriate programs, and conducts intake interviews.