CROWN POINT | Lake County Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Arredondo was named vice chairman of the Race and Gender Fairness Commission, the Indiana Supreme Court announced Monday.

Arredondo will replace Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Ezra Friedlander and serve the rest of his term through October. Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard also appointed Arredondo to serve as vice chairman from November 2009 through October 2011.

There was not a specific reason Friedlander left before the end of his term, an Indiana Supreme Court spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Arredondo is a bilingual judge who has served as a law clerk, prosecutor and county attorney, a news release from the high court states. He became a Lake County Circuit Court judge in 1977.

The judge said growing up in East Chicago with a diverse population provided him with a unique perspective, the release states.

The Commission on Race and Gender Fairness is charged with studying and making recommendations on race and gender issues in Indiana's justice system. It also promotes diversity in Indiana's legal system.