The Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana are pleased to announce the selection of Andrew L. Teel for the position of United States Magistrate Judge for the Court’s Fort Wayne Division. Mr. Teel will succeed the Honorable Susan L. Collins upon her retirement in July 2025 after thirty-seven years of public service, including nearly a decade as a Magistrate Judge.
Mr. Teel is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington (2002) and the College of William & Mary Law School (2005). His two-decade legal career has been spent largely in federal court both in private practice with HallerColvin P.C. as an Associate (April 2012-July 2014) and as a Partner (July 2014-September 2018), as well as in the public sector as a career law clerk for the Honorable Holly A. Brady since April 2019. Immediately after law school he held the position of Associate at the insurance defense firm of Steele, Ulmschneider & Malloy, LLP until April 2012, and he served as Associate General Counsel for MedPro Group from September 2018 through April 2019. During his tenure, Mr. Teel has devoted countless hours to the Allen County and Indiana State Bar Associations, serving as President of the ACBA in 2023 and 2024. Mr. Teel is also a member of the Community Advisory Board for the Fort Wayne Sexual Assault Treatment Center. When not engaged in these activities, Mr. Teel enjoys spending time with family and friends, cycling, and rooting for his beloved Hoosiers.
Regarding the selection of Mr. Teel, Chief Judge Holly A. Brady remarked, “The finalists for the position were certainly well qualified, and the Court thanks the Merit Selection Panel for its hard work in narrowing the field. The breadth of Mr. Teel’s experience makes him eminently qualified for the position. He brings to the bench his many years of criminal and civil litigation experience in both federal and state court with extensive trial and appellate work. Mr. Teel’s strong legal acumen will allow him to effectively and efficiently resolve disputes pending before him for the benefit of the Court and the litigants appearing before him. The Court greatly appreciates Judge Collins’ many years of service and looks forward to welcoming Mr. Teel as a member of the federal judiciary.”
A magistrate judge’s duties are demanding and wide-ranging and include: conducting preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; hearing and determining any non-case-dispositive pretrial matter (such as procedural and discovery motions); hearing case-dispositive motions (such as motions for summary judgment or dismissal, or for suppression of evidence) and submitting findings and recommended dispositions of such court’s motions to a district judge; holding trial and disposing of misdemeanor cases and civil cases upon consent of the litigants; conducting settlement conferences and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings; and additional duties as are not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States. The basic authority of a United States magistrate judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636. The District Judges of the United States District Court appoint U.S. Magistrate Judges to terms of eight years, and magistrate judges are eligible for reappointment to successive terms.
Mr. Teel’s appointment will be effective upon the retirement of the Honorable Susan L. Collins and completion of required IRS and FBI background investigations.
Public Release: Andrew Teel Selected as United States Magistrate Judge in Fort Wayne, IN