2024 Hoosier Freedom Honoree
Indiana State Representative Ryan Hatfield
State Representative Ryan Hatfield serves as the Assistant Leader for the Indiana House Democrats. He serves as the ranking minority member of the Indiana House Judiciary and Employment, Labor and Pensions committees. Ryan is also a member of the Public Health and Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications committees.
Hatfield has served as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, representing his hometown of Evansville, since 2016. He is a lawyer at Hatfield Law Office, LLC in Evansville and an adjunct faculty member at Ivy Tech Community College.
Prior to serving in the Indiana General Assembly and joining the law firm, Hatfield was a deputy prosecutor in Vanderburgh County, where he prosecuted homicides, sexual assaults and drug offenses. During his tenure, Hatfield secured one of Indiana’s first convictions alleging Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. As a member of the Vanderburgh County Treatment Court, as well as the Veterans Court, he worked to transition drug-addicted offenders into rehabilitation and back into their community. He also served as an instructor at the Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
Hatfield serves as a Commissioner of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, an organization that provides states with nonpartisan legislation that brings clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law. His legal expertise, competency, professional reputation, and ethical standards have earned him distinctions such as Rue’s Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America®, Top 10% in the USA by Lawyers of Distinction, and The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40. In 2018, Rep. Hatfield was recognized by Indiana Farm Bureau as an Emerging Leader.
Ryan’s wife, Kendra, is a pediatric registered nurse at St. Vincent’s Evansville. The Hatfields are active on local boards and committees, particularly for the protection and care of children.
Hatfield has served as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, representing his hometown of Evansville, since 2016. He is a lawyer at Hatfield Law Office, LLC in Evansville and an adjunct faculty member at Ivy Tech Community College.
Prior to serving in the Indiana General Assembly and joining the law firm, Hatfield was a deputy prosecutor in Vanderburgh County, where he prosecuted homicides, sexual assaults and drug offenses. During his tenure, Hatfield secured one of Indiana’s first convictions alleging Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. As a member of the Vanderburgh County Treatment Court, as well as the Veterans Court, he worked to transition drug-addicted offenders into rehabilitation and back into their community. He also served as an instructor at the Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
Hatfield serves as a Commissioner of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, an organization that provides states with nonpartisan legislation that brings clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law. His legal expertise, competency, professional reputation, and ethical standards have earned him distinctions such as Rue’s Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America®, Top 10% in the USA by Lawyers of Distinction, and The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40. In 2018, Rep. Hatfield was recognized by Indiana Farm Bureau as an Emerging Leader.
Ryan’s wife, Kendra, is a pediatric registered nurse at St. Vincent’s Evansville. The Hatfields are active on local boards and committees, particularly for the protection and care of children.
Hoosier Freedom Award Criteria
An individual or organization whose efforts, courage, litigation or innovative work result in the creation of a more just society.
Representative Hatfield's Nomination
Submitted by Robert Johnson
I would like to nominate Indiana State Representative Ryan Hatfield for the 2024 Hoosier Freedom Award for his legislative and personal support of protecting the rights of injured Hoosiers.
Since being elected in 2016, Representative Hatfield has served on the House Judiciary Committee where he has taken the lead in protecting our civil justice system. There has not been a time that Ryan has not been an advocate for injured Hoosiers in committee, on the house floor or in the House Democrat Caucus. He has been one of the strongest advocates for our clients in the Indiana General Assembly since being elected.
He currently serves as the Assistant Leader for the Indiana House Democrats. In addition to serving as the ranking minority member of the Indiana House Judiciary Committee he also fulfills the same role for the Employment, Labor and Pension committee. Ryan is also a member of the Public Health and Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications committees.
Ryan is an ITLA member and practices at Hatfield Law in Evansville. Prior to serving in the Indiana General Assembly and joining the law firm, Hatfield was a deputy prosecutor in Vanderburgh County, where he prosecuted homicides, sexual assaults, and drug offenses. During his tenure, Hatfield secured one of Indiana’s first convictions alleging Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. As the deputy prosecutor for the Vanderburgh County Treatment Court, as well as the Veterans Court, he worked to transition drug-addicted offenders in rehabilitation and back into their community.
Unfortunately, this will be Ryan’s last term in the Indiana General Assembly because he is currently running for Vanderburgh Count Circuit Court Judge.
Since being elected in 2016, Representative Hatfield has served on the House Judiciary Committee where he has taken the lead in protecting our civil justice system. There has not been a time that Ryan has not been an advocate for injured Hoosiers in committee, on the house floor or in the House Democrat Caucus. He has been one of the strongest advocates for our clients in the Indiana General Assembly since being elected.
He currently serves as the Assistant Leader for the Indiana House Democrats. In addition to serving as the ranking minority member of the Indiana House Judiciary Committee he also fulfills the same role for the Employment, Labor and Pension committee. Ryan is also a member of the Public Health and Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications committees.
Ryan is an ITLA member and practices at Hatfield Law in Evansville. Prior to serving in the Indiana General Assembly and joining the law firm, Hatfield was a deputy prosecutor in Vanderburgh County, where he prosecuted homicides, sexual assaults, and drug offenses. During his tenure, Hatfield secured one of Indiana’s first convictions alleging Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. As the deputy prosecutor for the Vanderburgh County Treatment Court, as well as the Veterans Court, he worked to transition drug-addicted offenders in rehabilitation and back into their community.
Unfortunately, this will be Ryan’s last term in the Indiana General Assembly because he is currently running for Vanderburgh Count Circuit Court Judge.