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Judge John D. Tinder offered a guest lecture IU McKinney on November 9 in the Inlow Hall Wynne Courtroom.

Judge Tinder announced his retirement in 2015 from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, where he has served since 2007. He served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indianapolis from 1987 until his elevation to the Circuit Court. Prior to that, he was a United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

“My students and I were very grateful that Judge Tinder spoke to our class,” said Professor Frank Sullivan, Jr. Judge Tinder’s lecture was part of Professor Sullivan’s “Law and the Administration of Justice” class at the law school. “His insights about federal court consideration of state law issues were keen and candid. We all learned a lot.

“Beyond that, we were honored to have him at our school. Judge Tinder holds a special place in Indiana legal history as having been United States Attorney, Federal District Court Judge, and Federal Court of Appeals Judge. I believe he is the only person ever to have held all three positions.

“It is a bit of a paradox that Judge Tinder’s nomination for the Court of Appeals was confirmed by the United States Senate by a vote of 97-0 when he is an individual with an extensive record, of definite and clear views, and with a strong personality.

Based on the three decades of friendship he has shown to me, I would say that his integrity, his transparency, and his humility are what made him an uncontroversial nominee. These traits do not conflict with his experience, conviction, or strong character but instead balance them so that he always gives the views of others – judges and advocates alike – the genuine full measure of his consideration. What more could one ask of a judge?”

In the photo from left are Professor Gerald Bepko, Judge John Tinder, and Professor Frank Sullivan.