Firm History

James Ocel Hanner started his law practice in 1928.  He took all clients and conducted a general practice until his death in 1952.  James served as Prosecutor of Parke County in 1933, 1934, and from 1943 until 1946.  He was also the secretary-treasurer of the Federal Land Bank and attorney for the Parke County Welfare Board. James did see his son, Clelland, who served in World War II as a B-17 pilot, come back to practice with him before his death.

Clelland J. Hanner was a teacher and coach at Montezuma High School prior to joining the Air Force in 1942.  While in the Air Force, he served as a B-17 pilot and flew 30 missions. He returned home in 1945 and attended the University of Notre Dame Law School, graduating in 1948. He ran for the Office of Prosecuting Attorney in Parke County and won his first election against Clarence Powell in 1948.  He began his first term as Parke County Prosecutor in 1949 -- the same year he married Mary Alice Bledsoe. Clelland served as Prosecutor from 1949 until 1959 and again from 1969 until 1979. He was Deputy Prosecutor from 1979 to 1986. Clelland and Mary have five children: Barbara, James, Bradley, Gary, and Joseph. Clelland passed away on April 24, 2006. 

Earl M. Dowd, a marine who served in the South Pacific theater during World War II, joined the firm after attending law school at night at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law (Indianapolis) and after serving as Parke County Sheriff for two terms. He served as Parke County Prosecutor from 1959 until 1969. When Earl joined the firm, the firm's name was changed to Hanner & Dowd. Earl was elected as Judge of the Parke Circuit Court in 1969, where he remained until he retired from the bench in 1992. Earl passed away on April 3, 1996. John Dowd, Earl's son, entered the firm in 1969 and acted as Deputy Prosecuting Attorney from 1969 until 1979, in addition to helping with the firm's civil practice.

The next Hanner to practice in Rockville was James O. Hanner, who graduated from Wabash College in 1974 and from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law (Indianapolis) in 1977. The firm name then changed, again, to Hanner & Hanner.  Jim served as Parke County Prosecutor from 1979 until 1987. Jim also served as a part time Putnam County Deputy Prosecutor from 2005 until 2018. Jim has three children, Erin, Benjamin (Emily), and Chelsea (Eric).  Jim also has one grandson, Max and two granddaughters, Gillian and Cora. Jim passed away November 17, 2022.

Hanner Law Office continues to provide counsel to clients in a wide array of civil practice areas, including estate planning and administration, personal injury, business matters, and property disputes. The firm is a full service law firm and strives to meet each client's needs.