Heather A. Welch

Heather A. Welch is a retired American judge who served on the Marion County, Indiana Superior Court, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was instrumental in developing Indiana's Commercial Courts, on which she served as one of its initial judges until her retirement. She has served as a judicial leader in Indiana and nationally, among other things being the incoming chair of the American Bar Association's Judicial Division in 2024, and has received numerous awards for her judicial service.

Judicial service Welch was elected as a judge to the Marion County Superior Court in 2006, and began serving on January 1, 2007. She served in the criminal division from 2007 to 2008, and in the civil division from 2009 to 2024. She retired in early 2024, but Indiana's Supreme Court certified her to sit as a senior judge after her retirement, through December 31, 2024. In 2016, she became the Marion Superior Court's first Commercial Court judge, and served on that specialized business court until her retirement. She was the presiding judge of the Marion Superior Court's Executive Committee from January 2019 to January 2021.

Prior service on the Superior Court Before her election as a Superior Court judge, Welch served six years as a Magistrate Judge, in both civil and criminal matters.

Legal practice Welch began her legal career in the Marion County Prosecutor’s office, moved to the Attorney General's office, and then went into private practice at a law firm, Kiefer & McGoff, before becoming a magistrate judge.

Education Welch received a B.S. degree for the Indiana University Bloomington Kelley School of Business in 1989, and Juris Doctor degree from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1994.

Since 2018, Welch has been an adjunct professor at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, teaching legal communications and analysis

Among others, Welch has received the following awards and honors;

The National Association of Women Judges Norma Wikler Excellence in Service Award (2023) The Antoinette Dakin Leach Award from the Indianapolis Bar Association (2019). This award was established by the Women and the Law Division of the Indianapolis Bar Association to honor outstanding women in the legal profession, and is only presented "when the Division deems a worthy candidate exists" The Indiana State Bar Association presented her with its Outstanding Judge Award (2018) The American Board of Trial Advocates' Indiana, Trial Judge of the Year award (2011) Vice-president of the American College of Business Court Judges Elected member of the American Law Institute Co-chair of Indiana's Commercial Courts Committee, and a founder of Indiana's Commercial Courts Working Group Co-chair of the American Bar Association's Judicial Clerkship Program (2016–).