A message from Acting CJ Dickson: Please consider submitting your application

Dear Fellow Indiana Lawyer,

I was 44 years old in 1985 when two lawyer friends urged that I consider being a candidate for a just-announced opening on the Indiana Supreme Court. I had never aspired to serve as an appellate judge, and was quite content in my 17th year of general law practice in Lafayette, Ind. But their suggestion prompted me to consider the possibility and ultimately led to my appointment.

As you may know, Justice Frank Sullivan has just announced that he will retire later this summer to accept a full-time faculty position at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. I am sending this email [on April 25] to urge all Indiana lawyers to seriously consider the possibility of appellate judicial service.

 The application deadline for the Sullivan vacancy has not yet been established but will likely occur in late spring/early summer. When available, application details will be published on the Court’s website, http://courts.in.gov/jud-qual. To be eligible, you must be a citizen of the United States and either admitted to the practice of law in Indiana for not less than 10 years or have served as a judge of an Indiana circuit or superior court for not less than five years.

In addition, for those in the Second District, Judge Carr Darden's retirement is creating a vacancy in the Court of Appeals. Applications for this vacancy must be submitted by May 9.

Appellate judicial service can be an enormously satisfying opportunity to serve your profession and your fellow Hoosiers. Please consider submitting your application.

Respectfully,
Brent E. Dickson
Acting Chief Justice
Indiana Supreme Court