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United States Magistrate Judge
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Law wasn’t U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Dinsmore’s first career choice. “I was planning on a career in the military until the Soviet Union, the primary entity the Army’s heavy armored force was built to defend against, became the former Soviet Union.” Perceiving that he was no longer part of a “growth industry,” he left the Army with the rank of captain, then took the LSAT. He plans to retire on Jan. 1 and leaves behind a legacy of judicial excellence, community service and mentorship to lawyers and judges. He’s also known for his willingness to help his colleagues on the bench, having on two occasions covered the entire caseloads of temporarily vacant magistrate courts until a new judge could be appointed. “The practice of law is a great career but a challenging one,” Dinsmore said. “It’s a profession that comes with obligations and duties to our clients and colleagues that can be stressful. It’s seldom a 9-to-5 job, but it can be very fulfilling.”
Givebacks: member, former president, McKinney-Shepard American Inns of Court; member, district court committees on facilities and security, artificial intelligence
First job: worked on an assembly line making artificial floral arrangements and wreaths
Important traits: intelligence, diligence, decisiveness and some — but not too much — patience
Career Highlights: Following law school Dinsmore clerked for the Honorable John Daniel Tinder for two years while Tinder served as a district court judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Following his clerkship, he joined the law firm Barnes & Thornburg LLP where he practiced as a commercial litigator for the next 14 years, becoming a partner in 2004 before leaving to assume his current position. In 2025, he received the Indianapolis Bar Association’s Michael C. Daniels eDiscovery, Information Governance, & Cybersecurity Professional of the Year Award.
Mentors: “The most long-term mentor is Judge John Daniel Tinder, who I have known for over 30 years,” Dinsmore said. “Most of what I know about being a judge and managing a judge’s chambers I learned from him. At Barnes & Thornburg, Jan Carroll and Michael Rosiello taught me how to practice law and manage a law practice, and Edward DeLaney gave me an unforgettable opportunity to work with him on an international arbitration arising from the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian War and taught me a lot in the process.”
Favorite de-stressors: reading•
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