James R. Ahler

Hon. James R. Ahler is a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Indiana in Hammond, appointed in June 2017. Previously, he served as the judge of the Jasper Superior Court inJasper County, Ind., from 2007-17. During his tenure as a state trial judge, Judge Ahler presided over hundreds of significant criminal and civil trials, including many jury trials. By appointment of the Indiana Supreme Court, he also served as a hearing officer to preside over attorney misconduct allegations prosecuted by the Indiana Disciplinary Commission. Prior to his judicial service, Judge Ahler was a litigation attorney for approximately 10 years. He also completed two separate federal judicial clerkships, the first for Hon. Michael S. Kanne and the second for Hon. William J. Bauer, both of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Judge Ahler received his Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University-Bloomington and his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law.