INDIANAPOLIS — A robing ceremony for Derek R. Molter of Newton County as Indiana’s 111th Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court will be held Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m., EST, in the Supreme Court Courtroom at the Indiana State House, according to information provided.
The public is invited to watch a webcast of the ceremony at courts.in.gov.
The one-hour ceremony will include remarks from Chief Justice Loretta Rush, Court of Appeals Chief Judge Cale Bradford, and Governor Eric Holcomb. Molter will say the ceremonial oath, and his official courtroom portrait will be unveiled
In June, Governor Holcomb named Molter to succeed Justice Steven David, who retired from the bench in August. After his appointment, Molter continued his work on the Court of Appeals until September. Chief Justice Rush administered a private oath on Sept. 1 to allow Molter to officially begin work as an Indiana Justice prior to the Nov. 1 ceremony.
Molter was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Holcomb and began his service on Oct. 1, 2021. Judge Molter received his B.A., with High Distinction, from Indiana University in 2004. While at I.U. he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was active in student government. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2007.
While in law school, he was the Executive Notes & Comments Editor for the Indiana Law Journal and a member of the Order of the Coif.
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According to the Indiana government’s official website, before joining the Court of Appeals, Molter was a partner in the Litigation Practice Group at Ice Miller in Indianapolis. He led the appellate practice and handled appeals in state and federal courts throughout the United States. He was a member of the National Center for State Courts Lawyers Committee, the Council for Appellate Lawyers, the Indiana State Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section Council, the Indianapolis Bar Association, and he served a term as the Newton County Bar Association president. He also represented pro bono clients defending criminal charges and pursuing discrimination, civil rights, employment, and housing claims.
Prior to joining Ice Miller, he was an attorney in Washington, D.C., at Arnold & Porter LLP. He was also a law clerk for the Honorable Theresa Springmann with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, and during law school, he worked as a legal intern for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary.
On Feb. 28 and March 1, the Commission conducted interviews of 19 applicants and named 10 as finalists. The finalists were interviewed in person for a second time on April 5.
After deliberating in an executive session, the Commission publicly voted to send the three nominees to the Governor. The Commission considered applicants’ legal education, writings, reputation in the practice of law, and other pertinent information. Applications and information about the vacancy can be found online.
According to the Indiana Constitution and state statute, the seven-member Judicial Nominating Commission must recruit and select candidates to fill vacancies on Indiana appellate courts. Details on the Commission, including membership, are online.
The Indiana Supreme Court is the state’s highest court. It has five members, operates year-round, and resolves disputes for civil and criminal cases. Oral arguments are open to the public, and opinions are posted online. For more information on the Supreme Court, visit courts.in.gov
