Since graduating from Valparaiso School of Law in 1974 and being admitted to the Indiana Bar and the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Indiana the same year, Attorney Robert M. Schwerd has served the needs of individuals, businesses, churches, and municipalities. He is a member of the Lake and Porter County Bar Associations.
Mr. Schwerd has represented individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries in traffic accidents, construction accidents, and shipboard accidents. He has argued cases before the Indiana Court of Appeals, as well as the Indiana Supreme Court.
Mr. Schwerd has represented the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary, its parishes and schools, for over 30 years. He was one of the organizers establishing the Judicial Survey by the Lake County Bar Association.
After practicing law in Highland, Indiana for over 30 years, Mr. Schwerd decided to open a new practice in 2010 along with Benjamin D. Fryman and Brent A. Torrenga. The three-man firm has since grown to five attorneys.
Mr. Schwerd is a long-standing member of the National Diocesan Attorneys Association, is a member of the Priest Pension Fund, and was co-author of “Sexual Abuse of Minors; The Policy of the Diocese of Gary, 1993.” Mr. Schwerd has also represented other church denominations in matters as diverse as real estate and EEOC complaints.
Mr. Schwerd is the Town Attorney for the Town of Griffith and has represented the Town for well over 30 years. He has also been the Town Attorney for the Town of Kouts for over nine years. He represents the Town Council, Plan Commission, BZA, Park Commission, as well as the Storm and Sanitary Board and Redevelopment Authority. Mr. Schwerd has represented numerous clients over the years appearing on their behalf before the boards and commissions of numerous municipalities.
Mr. Schwerd has extensive experience in representing juveniles within the juvenile court system, involving cases as serious as murder or as basic as shoplifting or battery. Mr. Schwerd has been a public defender in the Lake County Juvenile Court for over 17 years and is often requested to be Judge Pro Tempore in the juvenile system.
Bob, as his friends call him, originates from Belmar, a small community on the New Jersey shore. He married a “region girl” Susan Coulehan in 1969 (yes, 45 years as of October, 2014) and moved to Valparaiso to attend law school. Liking the area, he and Susan settled in Valparaiso permanently after law school and raised four children.