INDIANAPOLIS – Nine judges and lawyers who applied for an opening on the Court of Appeals of Indiana will be interviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission on July 11.
Monday, July 11 (all times listed below are Eastern)
- 8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Executive Session to consider applications
- 9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – Jane D. Wilson
- 10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Hon. Peter R. Foley
- 10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. – Jason W. Bennett
- Break
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Hon. James D. Worton
- 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Yvette M. LaPlante
- Lunch and Executive Session to consider applications
- 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Hon. Lakshmi Y. Reddy
- 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Stacy R. Uliana
- Break
- 2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. – Hon. John T. Roach, III
- 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. – Hon. Kelsey B. Hanlon
- 3:45 p.m. – Deliberations in Executive Session to consider applications, followed by public vote to select nominees
The interviews are open to the public and will be held in the Fuse East Conference Room on the second floor of the South Tower at Capital Center (201 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis, IN 46204). Media interested in attending should contact Kathryn Dolan to inquire about reserving a seat.
Members of the audience are asked to refrain from activities that might distract from the interview process. The following guidelines are in place:
- Only enter and exit between interviews
- Recording equipment must be set up during breaks
- Artificial lighting shall not be used
- Questioning of the applicants is reserved for the Commission
- Media/public may interview the applicants before/after Commission’s interview outside the interview room at the applicant’s discretion
Applications, along with writing samples, transcripts, and letters of recommendation are a matter of public record. Redacted applications are available online.
Following the interviews, the Commission will meet in executive session and then publicly vote to select the three most qualified candidates. The Commission considers applicants’ legal education, writings, reputation in the practice of law, and other pertinent information. The three nominees will be submitted to Governor Eric Holcomb, who has 60 days from receiving the list to select Indiana’s next Court of Appeals judge.
The vacancy is the result of the upcoming retirement of Judge Edward W. Najam, Jr. According to the Indiana Constitution and state statute, the seven-member Judicial Nominating Commission must recruit and select candidates to fill vacancies in Indiana appellate courts. With Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush as chair, the Commission includes three lawyers elected by their peers and three citizen members appointed by the Governor. Details on the Commission, including membership, are online.
