During thirty years of distinguished service to the citizens of Indiana as a federal judge, S. Hugh Dillin has earned a legendary reputation for judicial fairness. He has been called on to preside over some of the most contentious issues of our time. Despite extended periods during which his own personal security was at risk and he was the subject of heated public debate, he never faltered in his commitment to administer the law justly and to uphold the dignity and honor of the proceedings.
Judge Dillin's superb qualities of integrity, intellect, and common sense have led to his appointment to prestigious judicial committees, including the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, and he was elected by federal district judges across the country to represent them on the Judicial Conference of the United States.
Judge Dillin was born in Petersburg, Indiana. He received the Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in 1936 and the Bachelor of Laws in 1938, and was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1937 to 1943. Following military service in World War II he entered the private practice of law. He continued to serve the State as Legislative Advisor to Governor Henry Schricker and was again elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1951, and to the Indiana Senate in 1959. He was appointed to the federal judiciary in 1961.
Judge Dillin is a valued supporter of the Indiana University School of Law, participating in moot court competitions, lectures, and internship programs. He has been honored with Indiana University's Distinguished Alumni Service Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award of the College of Arts and Sciences, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Law Alumni.
