Leanna Weissmann is the first attorney in 20 years to be named to the appeals court without first serving as a trial judge. Weissmann’s practice has focused on appellate work — she’s argued more than 400 appeals, including a successful argument before the U-S Supreme Court.
Weissmann says she’s always had an affinity for appellate law because of the aspect of digging into past cases and tracking courts’ reasoning in applying precedents to new sets of facts. After giving birth to twins, she shifted her practice to appellate work in 1999 so she could work from home more easily.
Weissmann replaces Indiana’s longest-serving judge, John Baker, who retired in July after 10 years as a trial judge and 30 on the appeals court. Indiana’s Judicial Nominating Commission narrowed a list of 13 applicants to three finalists, with Governor Holcomb making the final selection.
The appeals court is divided into three geographic districts, with five judges from each. Applicants for Baker’s seat had to come from 56 counties in the southern half of Indiana, stretching from Lebanon to the Kentucky line. Weissmann becomes the seventh woman among the 15 judges.
