JUDGE HEATHER A. WELCH Marion Superior Court
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JUDGE HEATHER A. WELCH Marion Superior Court Application for Fall 2021 Vacancy Indiana Court of Appeals JUDGE HEATHER A. WELCH Indiana Court of Appeals Fall 2021 Vacancy TABLE OF CONTENTS1 Part One, Sections 1-11 ....................................................................................... 1 1. Contact/General Information ...................................................................... 1 2. Secondary Education/Military Experience .................................................. 2 3. Post-Secondary Education ........................................................................ 3 4. Employment ............................................................................................... 3 A. Current Employment ............................................................................. 3 B. Previous Employment ........................................................................... 4 5. Trial/Judicial Experience ............................................................................ 5 A. Jury Trial Experience ............................................................................ 5 B. Bench Trial Experience ........................................................................ 7 C. Judicial Experience............................................................................... 7 6. Professional Experience .......................................................................... 10 A. Examples of Appellate Briefing ........................................................... 11 B. Examples of Contribution to Legislative Action or Court Rules ........... 12 C. Contributions to Legal Journals .......................................................... 13 D. Most Significant Legal Matters ........................................................... 14 7. Efforts to Improve the Legal System, Administration of Justice, or Society ................................................................................................. 20 A. Civic and Social Issues ....................................................................... 23 B. Achievements and Contributions ........................................................ 26 C. Pro Bono Services .............................................................................. 30 D. Experiences Teaching Law ................................................................ 30 8. Memberships and Other Activities ........................................................... 31 A. Professional Organizations ................................................................. 31 B. Service Organizations ........................................................................ 34 C. Social Clubs ....................................................................................... 34 D. Leisure Activities................................................................................. 34 1 The table of contents contains internal hyperlinks. CTRL plus CLICK will take the reader to the portion of the application listed in the table of contents. JUDGE HEATHER A. WELCH Indiana Court of Appeals Fall 2021 Vacancy 9. Legal Proceedings ................................................................................... 35 10. References .............................................................................................. 36 JUDGE HEATHER A. WELCH Indiana Court of Appeals Fall 2021 Vacancy Indiana Judicial 251 N. Illinois Street, Suite 1600 Indianapolis, IN 46204 Nominating Commission (317) 232-4706 Application for the Court of Appeals of Indiana The application for the Fall 2021 Second District vacancy on the Court of Appeals of Indiana includes two parts. Both parts must be completed in entirety with the appropriate documentation attached and submitted through the Indiana Courts Portal. Five complete hard-copy applications also must be submitted to the Nominating Commission’s Office. Please direct any questions about the application process to Adrienne Meiring, Counsel to the Commission, by email at [email protected]. Part One, Sections 1-11 1. Contact/General Information A. Full legal name and any former names. Full Legal Name: Heather Ann Welch Maiden Name: Heather Ann Culbertson B. State the full name (use initials for minor children), age, and relationship of each person residing in your household. For each adult living in the household (other than yourself), also state the person’s occupation and employer. Husband (23 years): James Cornelius Welch II, 59. Consultant, CourtCall. Son: James Cornelius Welch III, 21. Majoring in nuclear engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette. Son: Matthew John Welch, 18. Majoring in architecture at Ball State University. 1 JUDGE HEATHER A. WELCH Indiana Court of Appeals Fall 2021 Vacancy C. Business address, email, and telephone number. Marion Superior Court, Civil One 200 E. Washington Street, W407 Indianapolis, In 46220 [email protected] 317-327-5679 D. Attorney number. 19717-49 E. Month and year you were admitted to the Indiana Bar. a. Indicate current law license status (i.e. active/inactive/retired). Admitted, October 1994. Active license. b. If you are or have been a member of the Bar of any other state, identify the jurisdiction and provide date(s) of admission and current license status. Not Applicable. F. Date and place of birth. Born Oct. 30, 1966 in Kokomo, Indiana G. County of current residence and date you first became a resident. Resident of Marion County, Indiana, from 1989 into 1991. Left in 1991 to attend law school in northern Indiana and returned in 1994. Have since lived continuously in Marion County, Indiana. 2. Secondary Education/Military Experience A. List all undergraduate colleges and universities you attended. Include the school name; dates enrolled; degree or certificate earned; and any academic honors, awards, or scholarships you received and when. School Dated Enrolled Degree Indiana University 1985-1989 B.S., Business Indiana University Summer Classes Kokomo 1986,1987 2 JUDGE HEATHER A. WELCH Indiana Court of Appeals Fall 2021 Vacancy IUPUI Summer 1989 B. Include with your original application a certified transcript from each school named in Subsection 2A, and attach copies of each transcript to each application copy. (If your social security number is on your transcripts, redact it before copying.) Please see Exhibit A. C. If applicable, list any military service. Include the name of the military branch; dates of service; last rank achieved; and any honors, awards, or commendations received and when. Attach a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from active duty (“DD 214” paperwork). Not Applicable. 3. Post-Secondary Education A. List all law schools, graduate schools, and post-J.D. programs attended. Include the school name; dates enrolled; degree or certificate earned; class rank; and any academic honors, awards, or scholarships you received and when. School Enrolled Degree Class Rank Valparaiso University 1991-1994 J.D. 43/142 School of Law DePaul University Summer 1993 College of Law Federal Income Tax Course I worked 15 hours a week during the second year of law school and 20 to 25 weekly during the third year. B. Include with your original application a certified transcript from each school named in Subsection 3A, and attach copies of each transcript to each application copy. (If your social security number is on your transcripts, redact it before copying.) Please see Exhibit B. 4. Employment A. Provide your employment history since graduation from college. Include name of employer, titles or positions, locations, and dates of employment. 3 JUDGE HEATHER A. WELCH Indiana Court of Appeals Fall 2021 Vacancy Marion Superior Court Judge, Indianapolis. (2007 to Present) Elected by county voters in 2006. Re-elected in 2012 and 2018. Assignments: 1) Civil Division (2009 to Present) 2) Criminal Division, D Felony/L6 Cases (2007-08) During this time, my peers elected me presiding judge of Marion Superior Court to lead the four-judge Executive Committee. (January 2019 to January 2021) I also served as associate presiding judge from January 2017 to 2019 while on the Executive Committee, Today, I am chair of the Civil Division and supervising judge of the Jury Pool through January 2023. Since June 2016, I also have served the Indiana Commercial Court, which the Indiana Supreme Court created in six courtrooms as a three-year pilot to test establishing judicial practices shown to improve how commercial disputes are resolved. The intent was to apply the law more consistently and efficiently, with the aim of making the state a better place to do business. The Supreme Court later made this specialized docket permanent, making me among a half-dozen judges statewide eligible since 2019 to handle complex business litigation. The Supreme Court added four new judges this year. Adjunct Professor, IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law (2018 to Present) Teach the Legal Communication and Analysis/Legal Writing course at the Indianapolis campus. Master Commissioner, Marion Superior Court (2001-06) Criminal Division, Major Felony Court and Civil Court, Indianapolis. Associate Attorney, Kiefer & McGoff, Indianapolis (1999-01) Deputy Prosecutor, Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Indianapolis. (1994-95, 1996-99) Deputy Attorney General, Indiana Attorney General’s Office, Indianapolis. (1995- 96) Assigned to the Medical Licensing Division. Certified Legal Intern, Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Indianapolis (1994) Research Law Clerk and Certified Legal Intern, Lake County Prosecutor’s