News Archive
4 IU McKinney Alumni Among Semifinalists for Vacancy on Indiana Court of Appeals
05/17/2021
A total of four of the 12 semifinalists vying for a seat on the Indiana Court of Appeals are alumni of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Judge James Kirsch, ’74, has announced that he will retire from the Indiana Court of Appeals in Fall 2021. The Judicial Nominating Commission will interview semifinalists on June 8. The commission will give three names to Governor Eric Holcomb, who will make the final selection.
The IU McKinney candidates are:
- Stephen R. Creason, ’00, chief counsel, Indiana Attorney General’s Office
- Judge Timothy W. Oakes, ’91, Marion Superior Court Civil Division
- Zachary J. Stock, ’01, solo attorney, Carmel
- Judge Lisa L. Swaim, ’94, Cass Superior Court
Before his appointment to the Court of Appeals by Governor Evan Bayh in 1994, Kirsch served as a judge on the Marion Superior bench for six years. Prior to that, he practiced commercial and business law at Kroger Gardis & Regas in Indianapolis, where he also served as managing partner. Kirsch served as chief judge of the Court of Appeals from March 2004 through February 2007. He has been an appellate judge for 25 years.
