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Justin Forkner, the Indiana Supreme Court’s chief administrative officer, will leave his post in January to join a northwest Indiana law firm, the court announced Friday.
Forkner has held the post since 2018, overseeing the Office of Judicial Administration and its staff of roughly 240 attorneys and other licensed professionals. In that role, he acted as the administrative link between the supreme court, the state’s nearly 600 judicial officers and more than 18,000 attorneys.
Chief Justice Loretta Rush said Forkner played a central role in helping to define and implement strategic direction for the state’s judicial branch. She credited him with advancing transparency and accountability and praised his leadership in major initiatives, including keeping courts operating during the pandemic, reorganizing the Office of Judicial Administration, guiding legislative priorities and co-chairing groups focused on the state’s legal future and national responses to artificial intelligence.
“Justin has leadership, vision, and passion for the law. His commitment to the justice system is unwavering,” Rush said in a news release. “He is admired for his efforts to maintain a high level of service, transparency, and accountability in our state, and he shares that knowledge with courts across the country.”
Forkner said he was grateful for his 15 years in public service and the colleagues he worked with during that time.
He has been a finalist for vacancies on both the Indiana Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Forkner is a graduate of Indiana University and the IU McKinney School of Law, where he finished first in his class, and previously served as a U.S. Army captain with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Aaron Hood, the Office of Judicial Administration’s chief financial and operating officer, will serve as interim chief administrative officer. The court said details about the search for a permanent replacement will be announced later.
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