Bender, Melissa H.

My mission statement is a basic one -- provide the best customer service anytime, anyplace.

Let me introduce myself:
I grew up in eastern Whitley County, graduated from Columbia City High School and went on to graduate from IPFW and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. I always liked school because I enjoyed learning new things.

Unlike many attorneys I have actually "seen the inside of a courtroom" and I have much jury trial experience.

I am also the chairman and co-founder of the American Unity Party. The AUP is an independent, and therefore non-partisan, party designed to cater to the interests of the shrinking middle-class.

Lastly, I believe that religious training and participation in volunteer activities are important to the communities in which we live. I have participated in volunteer programs that are too numerous to list and I am active with the First Church of God in Columbia City.

When my office was founded I decided to base it upon principles that you wouldn't expect from other law firms. I believe in providing the best customer service through "bread-basket advocacy" -- period! To me customer service means being accessible, meeting with a real lawyer -- not a paralegal, listening more than talking, being knowledgeable, showing empathy, and possessing a friendly and outgoing personality. By bread-basket advocacy I mean finding a voice for the common middle class of citizens like you and I who make up the pulse of our communities.

It is vitally important that the bread-basket have a voice and that it be heard. The legal system is not designed for the very wealthy or the very poor. My office caters to the grassroots of the community by providing legal services that address and solve everyday concerns that are important to the individual, rather than "wining and dining" high profile clients.