Robert Henry Bellinger II

     I was named after my grandfather.  He was a Navy man.  My dad was a Navy man too; he's a disabled Vietnam veteran.  My mother was a stay-at-home mom for a while.  She went to work once my younger brother started school.  I've always admired how she did it.  My dad was gone for long stretches of time during my life due to his naval obligations and my mom had to often play the role of both parents and hold the family together.  My parents are still married; they celebrated their 42nd anniversary on June 24, 2014.

     I was fortunate to see many interesting places growing up, and I quickly learned how to make new friends wherever we ended up.  I learned a lot of life skills from my parents:  the discipline, focus and methodic way of approaching life from my dad and hard work, grit and the importance of family from my mom. 

     When my dad deployed to the Persian Gulf in Operation Desert Storm we moved to the small town of Columbia City.  My paternal grandparents lived in the Columbia City area and my maternal grandparents lived on Blue Lake, just outside of Churubusco.   

     I attended college at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne.  I later attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan.  After graduating  law school I decided to open my own practice in Fort Wayne because this town truly feels like home to me.  I worked as a deputy public defender in Allen County for about three years; I gave that gig up to focus on my thriving private practice.

     I am active in the Fort Wayne community.  I do volunteer work for Riverfront Fort Wayne and the Three Rivers Festival.  I attend Pathway Community Church on the north side of town.

     I am a fitness buff and work out 5 times a week.  I also jog (more like plod) when I can.  I am currently training to run my first half-marathon this September during the Fort for Fitness. 

     I enjoy what I do because I have the opportunity to help people when they are often at their lowest point in life.  My goal is to not only advocate for my clients but also to educate and prepare them to start in a new direction.  What I mean by this is that I don't just explain what the law is.  I help folks with all the practical aspects that occur in their life as they are intertwined with the legal system. 

     My ultimate goal is to provide folks with as much information as I can, so that they can make well-informed decisions; even if it means providing answers to the tough questions that they need answered.  We may not always see eye-to-eye and that's o.k.; I think that playing the role of the "yes man" to my clients is a severe disservice to them. 

     In sum, I look forward to helping those who are down on their luck by providing relevant information, practical knowledge and direction to get them to where they need to be.