Robert D. Rucker

Who is Robert D. Rucker?

Robert D. Rucker is the 105th justice appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court.

Born in Canton, Georgia, Rucker grew up in Gary, Indiana, and is a veteran of the Vietnam War.

He is a graduate of Indiana University and Valparaiso University School of Law. He earned a Master of Laws degree in the judicial process from the University of Virginia Law School in 1998.

Justice Rucker served as a Judge on the Indiana Court of Appeals, having been appointed to that position in 1991 by Indiana Governor Evan Bayh. He was the first African American to serve on the Indiana Court of Appeals and thus making him the first African American appellate judge in the State of Indiana. While on the Court of Appeals, Justice Rucker served as vice-chair of the Indiana Commission for Continuing Legal Education.

As a lawyer, Justice Rucker served on the board of directors of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association and on the board of directors of the Northwest Indiana Legal Services Organization. He also served as a deputy prosecuting attorney for Lake County, Indiana, City Attorney for the City of Gary, and practiced general law in East Chicago, Indiana.