Larry R. Church, New Albany, is a founding partner of Church, Langdon, Lopp and Banet Law, LLC (CLLB) located in New Albany, Indiana. Church has been a civil trial lawyer for the past 30+ years. He currently focuses his practice almost exclusively in the areas of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and mediation and has mediated thousands of civil disputes, encompassing all areas of civil litigation. Church graduated from Kent State University in 1988, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in English. During his undergraduate studies, he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Later, Church attended the University of Cincinnati College of Law, graduating in 1991. Church began his legal career as a public defender before transitioning to the regional office of Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs. He served there for 15 years before joining McNeely Stephenson to operate the southern Indiana office. In 2020, he opened the New Albany office of CLLB with his partners. Church is a member of several legal associations, including the Indiana State Bar Association, the Kentucky Bar Association, the Louisville Bar Association (currently serving as Chair of the ADR Section), and the Floyd County Bar Association. He also is a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. His civic efforts include serving on the Board of Directors of the Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana and of 1Southern Indiana.
Pursuant to IC-33-27-2-8(b)(4), Church submits the following statement concerning his efforts and achievements towards the improvement of the administration of justice:
It is such a privilege for me to have spent the last thirty plus years as an attorney. I have been motivated every day in my practice by the belief that mutual respect of all persons, especially those from whom we often find ourselves sitting on the opposite side of the courtroom, is both crucial and fundamental in the administration of justice. This belief greatly influenced my decision to transition from being a trial lawyer to being a mediator. As an impartial neutral, I am now daily afforded the honor assisting those in conflict with finding a respectful and reasonable resolution to their disputes. Even in the highly divisive and agenda driven time in which we currently find ourselves, I still wholeheartedly believe in our justice system. I believe the bedrock for the survival and enduring success of our Justice system is the dedicated service of a highly competent, neutral, and respected judiciary at all levels. My primary motivation for seeking a seat on our Judicial Nominating Commission is simply a desire to do all in my ability to achieve this lofty goal by providing our Governor with the most qualified slate of candidates to be considered for the honor of serving on our Appellate and Supreme Court.