John Daniel Tinder

John Daniel Tinder (born February 17, 1950) is a retired United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Background Born in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 17, 1950, Tinder attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University Bloomington in 1972, and a Juris Doctor from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1975. He is a member of the Indiana University School of Law (Bloomington) Academy of Law Alumni.

While in law school, Tinder worked at the U.S. Attorney's office in Indianapolis during 1974, and served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 1974 to 1977. In 1977, Tinder entered private practice in Indianapolis, which he continued in until 1984 when he returned to the United States Attorney Office in Indianapolis, this time as its leader. In addition to his work in the private sector, Tinder served as a public defender from 1977 to 1978 for the Marion County Criminal Court. From 1979 to 1982, Tinder was chief trial deputy for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. He was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 1984 to 1987, and was also an adjunct professor at the Indiana University School of Law from 1980 to 1988.

Federal judicial service Tinder was nominated to a judgeship on the United States District Court by President Ronald Reagan on June 2, 1987, to replace Judge James Noland on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, and the United States Senate confirmed him just two months later on August 7, 1987. He received his commission on August 10, 1987. His service as a district court judge was terminated on December 21, 2007, when he was elevated to the court of appeals. He received his commission on December 21, 2007. Tinder previewed his post-retirement career plans in an interview with The Indiana Lawyer. He assumed senior status on February 18, 2015, one day after his 65th birthday.