U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) Friday supported the confirmation of J.P. Hanlon from Indianapolis to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana. Mr. Hanlon was confirmed by the full Senate on a voice vote.
“J.P. Hanlon will make a terrific U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana,” said Senator Young. “J.P. is well respected in the Indianapolis community, and has spent years working both civil and criminal cases on behalf of Hoosiers. It’s important that we are filling this court vacancy with a fair and highly regarded attorney, and I am glad he can now get to work addressing the court’s judicial emergency.”
“After meeting with J.P. and following his confirmation process, I was proud to vote for his nomination on the Senate floor,” said Senator Donnelly. “His commitment to Indiana and to public service is laudable. I wish him success as he takes on this important new role.”
Since Mr. Hanlon’s nomination was announced in April, both Senators Young and Donnelly have emphasized his qualifications and the need for a swift confirmation in order to reduce the caseload the Southern District of Indiana faces. In the 12-month period ending June 30, 2017, the Southern District of Indiana was the second most overworked court in the nation, with 915 filings per judgeship.
Mr. Hanlon is a partner in the Indianapolis office of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP where he serves as co-chair of the firm’s white-collar defense and investigations practice. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Hanlon served for five years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. During that period, he tried twelve jury and two bench trials to successful resolution on behalf of the Government and argued multiple cases on appeal before the Seventh Circuit. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Hanlon practiced for three years as an associate in the labor and employment practice group at Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Shortly after graduating from law school, he served as a law clerk to Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. Mr. Hanlon has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he taught courses on white collar crime. Mr. Hanlon earned his B.A. from DePauw University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Valparaiso University School of Law, where he served as an articles editor of the Valparaiso University Law Review.
