News Archive

A bill working its way through the Indiana General Assembly would change the way that judges in Marion County are chosen for the bench. Under the proposal, potential jurists would be considered through a merit selection system in the way Allen, Lake, St. Joseph, and Vanderburgh counties and the state’s appellate court judges are chosen. Some people praise the move, while others fear it will weaken diversity on the bench.

“I think it’s a good but not perfect bill,” Professor Joel Schumm, ’98, said in a story on the issue published in the Indianapolis Star February 6. He points out “Unlike the statutes for some other selection processes, it expressly requires the committee to consider ‘whether the candidate reflects the diversity and makeup of Marion County.’”

Professor Schumm, a manga cum laude graduate of IU McKinney, is a clinical professor of law and Director of Experiential Learning. He also directs the IU McKinney Appellate Clinic, and the Judicial Externship Program.