Judge James S. Kirsch
(Second District)

415 State House
Indianapolis, IN  46204
(317) 232-6909

James S. Kirsch was appointed to the Court of Appeals in March 1994 and served as Chief Judge from March 1, 2004 to February 28, 2007. A native of Indianapolis, Judge Kirsch is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis (J.D., cum laude, 1974) and Butler University (B.A. with honors, 1968).

Judge Kirsch served as Judge of the Marion Superior Court from 1988 to 1994 and as presiding judge of the court in 1992. From 1974 to 1988, he practiced law with the firm of Kroger, Gardis & Regas in Indianapolis in the areas of commercial and business litigation and served as managing partner of the firm. Since 1990, he has held an appointment as Visiting Professor of Law and Management at the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University.

Judge Kirsch is a past-president of the Indianapolis Bar Association and of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation and is a former member of the Board of Visitors of the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis. He is a past-president of the United Way/Community Service Council Board of Directors and a current or former member of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Central Indiana, the Board of Associates of Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, and of the Boards of Directors of the Goodwill Industries Foundation of Central Indiana, Community Centers of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Urban League, the Legal Aid Society of Indianapolis, and the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Association. He is a Fellow of the Indiana State Bar Foundation and of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation.

Judge Kirsch is a frequent speaker and lecturer and has served on the faculty of more than 200 continuing legal education programs. He has been named a Sagamore of the Wabash by four different governors.