Scholastic achievements
Lifetime Learning
Judge Buckley has immersed himself in a lifetime of learning. Judge Buckley has far exceeded the Continuing Judicial Education requirements each and every year of his first term. Judge Buckley has attended conferences in Indianapolis, Nashville, Tennessee, Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Florida, to name a few. Judge Buckley has focused on mental health education in particular, studying the effects of serious mental illness, pharmacology, motivational interviewing, restorative justice and procedural fairness. In 2025, Judge Buckley graduated from Indiana's Judicial College and was presented with a certificate by the Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court.
NAMI Mental Health Justice Award
In March 2025 Judge Buckley was honored with the Executive Advocate for Mental Health Justice Award conferred by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Adjunct Law Professor
In addition to practicing law full time, Judge Buckley was privileged to shape the future of the legal profession by teaching future lawyers. Judge Buckley served as an adjunct law professor at Valparaiso University School of Law teaching classes such as pretrial skills, trial practice, discovery, and other hands-on legal topics. Judge Buckley truly sets the example when it comes to giving back to his profession.
A Leader Among Judges
When he is not presiding over a busy criminal or small claims docket, Judge Buckley is frequently asked to lead and teach other judges, creating training materials for new judges or teaching in seminars at conferences and leading statewide committee meetings.