VOTE411 Voter Guide

Justice on the Supreme Court of Ohio – 2019 to present (5+ years).

Judge on the Ohio Court of Appeals – 2006 to 2018 (12 years).

Prior to being elected and re-elected to the Court of Appeals and then being elected to the Supreme Court – serving 17 years writing law, I had a varied legal career practicing law and teaching law. I practiced law primarily as a civil defense litigator in state and federal courts and worked in several capacities in legal and higher education for a combined 16 years. I served in multiple administrative capacities and taught courses in ethics and professional responsibility; criminal law; criminal procedure; and legal research, writing, and advocacy. In my doctoral studies, I was able to explore the intersection of law and social science – researching and writing in the areas of elder law and caregiving, and juvenile delinquency to name a couple areas of study. This prior non-judicial experience helps me to ask the right questions of lawyers and litigants, colleagues and court staff, and of myself before deciding a case. My non-judicial background has also served me well with recognizing the complexities and nuances of cases that come before us and serves as a reminder to always judge the case, not the parties.

I am currently the incumbent Justice running for re-election to the seat that I criss-crossed the State of Ohio campaigning for in 2018, that I received bipartisan support for during that campaign, and that the voters of Ohio saw fit to elect me to in 2018. I am an even stronger Justice/Public Servant now as I complete my first six-year term on the Ohio Supreme Court. So running for re-election to the seat I currently hold is necessary to continue serving the public and our judiciary.