Attorney Profile
Your Personal Injury
Attorney and Team
Legal processes can be long and exhausting, which is why you need a team who cares for you, is trustworthy, and is not only available for communications, but eager to help you understand next steps and nuances of your case.
Bringing your personal injury or wrongful death case from start to finish requires experience, teamwork, and constant focus. Attorney Dave Cloutier and Paralegals Gina Paschke, Amanda Herr, and Bridgett Orta have nearly 70 years of combined experience handling personal and wrongful death cases. Having the full team on your side to helps build your case, keep you informed, and make the process smooth. We act as a team and believe in our Client Bill of Rights and Guiding Principles.
While Dave Cloutier founded Cloutier Law Offices, it’s not his first legal endeavor. Dave has been representing plaintiffs in personal injury and wrongful death cases since 1996. He believes in professional excellence, client communication, and guiding clients through the complex processes required to build a case for a successful outcome.
He’s worked with other law firms and has incorporated the best of his experiences into his legal practice while flipping lawyer stereotypes on their head. Dave’s not stuffy, cold, or detached. He’s eager to help hurting people, make the process as comfortable as possible, and build your case well.
BACKGROUND AND JOURNEY TO LAW
Dave grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He came to South Bend to attend the University of Notre Dame and then Notre Dame Law School. He grew fond of the Michiana community, its people, and its values, and has been here ever since. Dave graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Notre Dame in 1992.
He attended Notre Dame on a Navy/Marine Corps ROTC Scholarship and spent his summers on temporary active duty, getting the chance to experience the working Navy on ships, submarines, planes, and helicopters. He received the Military Order of the World Wars Award and competed on the NROTC Rifle Drill Team.
He then attended Notre Dame Law School, graduating in 1996. While at Notre Dame, he was a Dean’s List honoree and received among other awards the International Academy of Trial Lawyers award for excellence in Trial Advocacy, and the American Jurisprudence Awards for both Trial Advocacy and Constitutional Law. He was a member of the Trial Advocacy (“Barristers”) Competition Team, and competed in the law school Client Counseling competition.
LEGAL EXPERIENCE & LEADERSHIP
Since graduating from law school, Dave has been in private practice as a trial lawyer representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, a member of the American Association for Justice, the St. Joseph County Bar Association (where he serves on the Lawyer Referral Service Committee), the American Inns of Court, and the National Crime Victims Bar Association. He has served as a Judge Pro Tempore of the St. Joseph Superior Court. Dave has taught classes as an adjunct faculty member for the paralegal studies department at Brown Mackie College (formerly Michiana College) and served on the program’s Professional Advisory Committee.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Dave is three-time past President and 20-year member of the South Bend Business Network International. He participates in activities through Notre Dame and Notre Dame Law School including the 2024 chair and prior attorney team leader for the “Should I Be a Lawyer, the Experience” program. He has judged numerous competitions such as Moot Court, Mock Trial, Client Counseling, and was the coach from 1997-1999 of the Notre Dame undergraduate Mock Trial team.
Dave is a member St. Pius X Catholic Parish, and MENSA International. Dave and his wife are both Notre Dame alumni and enjoy Notre Dame sports, especially football, hockey and baseball, and they enjoy traveling. Dave and his wife have lived in Granger since 1997.
MEET THE REST OF YOUR LEGAL TEAM
Dave may be the face of the company, but he doesn’t do this work alone. Meet the rest of the behind the scenes team that helps bring your case across the finish line.