[1] Landis was born in Claypool, Indiana, a small town in rural Kosciusko County, on May 10, 1873.

He remained in this position until 1894, when he was appointed the Superintendent of the Carroll Consolidated School Corporation, at the time based out of nearby Burlington, Indiana.

He later created a law partnership in Huntington, Indiana with Fred H. Bowers, a friend and fellow Indianan from the University of Michigan.

[5][6] In 1901, Landis became a professor at the newly established College of Law at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.

[8] In 1911, Landis, a Democrat, was elected the State Attorney for the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, winning a majority in every county in the district.

His remains were sent back to Carroll County, and he is buried in Ball Hill Cemetery in Cutler, Indiana.

Landis Hall now serves as a freshman dormitory for the Florida State University Honors Program.