News
July 28, 2010 Justice O'Connor Speaks at Akron Law and Leadership InstituteSupreme Court of Ohio Justice Maureen O'Connor today spoke to Akron students involved in a statewide program that seeks to improve diversity in the legal profession.
The Law and Leadership Institute identifies promising youth from urban neighborhoods and grooms them to be future leaders in the legal profession by offering them a chance to study law during the summer at an Ohio law school. Students entering the ninth, 10th and 11th grades began their studies on July 6 in six cities. Justice O'Connor visited with students studying at the University of Akron School of Law.
She discussed her path to arriving on the Supreme Court and encouraged students to consider a career in the law. "This program has tremendous potential for eventually reaching a goal when Ohio's legal and judicial community reflects society's diversity at large," said Justice O'Connor. "But even if the students attending the program don't become lawyers, they will be better prepared for life after high school."
The institute began in 2008 in Cleveland and Columbus and expanded to four additional cities last year. The original sites house all three grades this summer and involve two law schools in each city while the four expansion cities have two grades at each city's law school.
Much more than simply "job shadowing," ninth-grade summer students are in class for five weeks concluding with a mock trial; 10th-grade students sit for three weeks of classroom instruction and conclude with a one-week internship at a law firm or corporation; and 11th-grade students take ACT/SAT preparation courses to boost their college readiness, go on campus visits, and are paired with lawyer mentors on a research and writing assignment.
Partners for the 2010 institute include the Supreme Court, the Ohio Center for Law Related Education, the Ohio State Bar Association, Ohio's metropolitan bar associations, city school districts and Ohio's eight other law schools: Capital University Law School, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, the University of Cincinnati College of Law, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, the University of Dayton School of Law, Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and the University of Toledo College of Law.
The Law and Leadership Institute is supported, in part, by grants from the Ohio State Bar Foundation and the Law School Admissions Council.
As the sixth woman and 148th Justice to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008. She has experience as a practicing attorney, magistrate, common pleas judge, and prosecuting attorney. In 1998, she was elected as lieutenant governor and was the governor's chief advisor on criminal justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio's Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee.
July 23, 2010
Veteran Justice Calls for Immediate Appointment of Advisory Committee on the Judicial Budget
A Statement from Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor:
The Chief Justice has been in office for 82 days, and he has made only one public statement on the unprecedented budget crisis in Ohio. This was in a speech to the Portage County Bar Association on June 24th in which he stated: "With approximately 80 percent of the budget for state judiciary committed to paying the salaries of judges, frankly there is little cost savings that can be achieved in the court's budget." (Complete speech text is here).
This is wrong on two counts. First, judges' salaries are 60 percent of the budget, not 80 percent. Second, there is plenty of room to cut. I have proposed a plan to cut 10 percent from the discretionary budget, and I have detailed a process to do even more. (I urge anyone interested in cutting spending while maintaining a quality judiciary to read my plan. It is available here.) Ohioans don't want talk. They want solutions. Let's set aside politics and work together to solve the budget crisis.
This week, I released my two-part plan to address the judiciary's portion of the fiscal crisis in Ohio. My plan cuts 10 percent from the Court's discretionary budget and establishes an Advisory Committee on the Judicial Budget to examine ways to achieve further cost savings. But we should not delay. Working together, we can get started on this urgent problem immediately.
Today, I am proposing that the Court not wait until January and instead immediately establish the Advisory Committee on the Judicial Budget, so they can begin their important work. I will be further discussing this with my colleagues in the coming days with the hope that we can establish a reasonable timeline for creating this Committee. In order to ensure that this Committee is nonpartisan and representative of the diverse judicial community, it will be critical that it is established using the general framework I outline in my plan. The Committee should include appointments from each of the Justices and representatives of every judicial association in Ohio.
I believe that it is only through cooperation that we can begin to tackle this problem that at times seems so insurmountable. The entire judicial community must be involved in the process. And we must proceed deliberately but with urgency. Since, according to his statement this week, the Chief Justice agrees that this must be a collaborative process, I hope he joins me in establishing the Advisory Committee on the Judicial Budget. The fiscal crisis is too large to be ignored any longer.
If you are interested in speaking with Justice O'Connor about her plans to help solve Ohio's fiscal crisis while maintaining quality courts, call: 440-796-8802.
July 20, 2010
O'Connor endorsed by the FOP
Today, Justice Maureen O'Connor received the endorsement of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police. She has received this endorsement in each of her previous three statewide elections due to her strong record of support as Summit County Prosecutor, Lt. Governor and Director of the Department of Public Safety, and the last seven years on the Ohio Supreme Court.
"I have been honored to receive the endorsement of the FOP every time I have stood for election on the Supreme Court. I believe that the significance of this endorsement is that it is given by the men and women of Ohio's largest law enforcement organization and there is no other group of individuals that engenders more respect, admiration or trust. I am very grateful for your trust and confidence," said O'Connor
Justice O'Connor has also received the endorsement of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association earlier in February. The support of this group was overwhelming and the endorsement was released before Justice O'Connor had officially filed her petitions to run for Chief Justice.
July 8, 2010
Justice O'Connor Speaks on WOSU Radio: All Sides with Ann Fisher.
Women in the Judiciary: Women's struggle for acceptance and equality in the legal and judicial professions, with Dayton Daily News Reporter Mary McCarty and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor.
Listen to the broadcast:
June 14, 2010
Justice O'Connor Attends Expansion Dedication
A little more than nine months after breaking ground on an expansion, Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Maureen O'Connor participated in the dedication ceremony for the new courtroom added to the Mahoning County Juvenile Court's Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center.
Named in honor of the late Judge James M. McNally, the additional 3,000 square feet also includes more office space. Current juvenile judge Theresa Dellick, who's only the third judge after Joyce and McNally to serve at the justice center since it opened in 1979, presided over the ceremony.
"Our halls of justice serve as pillars of the community and hopefully remind residents that inside the fair administration of justice occurs," Justice O'Connor said. "It's wholly appropriate to name the new courtroom after Judge McNally who served this community and the juvenile court with integrity, compassion and even-handedness for more than a decade."
As the sixth woman and 148th Justice to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008. She has experience as a practicing attorney, magistrate, common pleas judge, and prosecuting attorney. In 1998, she was elected as lieutenant governor and was the governor's chief advisor on criminal justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio's Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee.
June 2, 2010
Justice O'Connor Attends Mortgage Fraud Summit
Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Maureen O'Connor described Ohio's ongoing foreclosure problem during opening remarks at the first Ohio Mortgage Fraud Summit today at the Ohio Judicial Center.
At the summit, federal, state and local partners discussed mortgage fraud trends in Ohio, the impact of mortgage fraud on communities and law enforcement efforts to combat mortgage fraud.
But before participants learned about the effects of mortgage fraud crime crisis on Ohio, Justice O'Connor shared statistics from 20 years of data collected by the Supreme Court on new foreclosure cases filings in Ohio's 88 counties.
"Unfortunately, the numbers for the first three months of 2010 show a continuation of an alarming trend," she said. "We are already ahead of last year's pace with 24,711 new foreclosure case filings compared to 22,712 in the first quarter of 2009."
She noted that Ohio set a record for the number of new foreclosure case filings last year with 89,053. "In fact, 2009 marked the 14th consecutive annual increase for new foreclosure cases filings," Justice O'Connor said. "The fact that the rate of increase has slowed in the past few years is of some comfort, but certainly not to those who have lost their homes."
She described the Supreme Court's efforts to assist homeowners: working with courts to start foreclosure mediation programs, urging attorneys to work for free when appropriate in foreclosure cases, and collecting, analyzing and reporting foreclosure statistics to inform the public policy debate.
She added that the foreclosure crisis doesn't appear to have crested in our state. "You can be sure that whatever schemes exist today to separate homeowners from their homes, those schemes will continue and possibly multiply because the foreclosure problem in Ohio is not going away anytime soon."
She offered to be a partner in addressing the mortgage fraud issue and predicted its collaborative nature would find success just as Ohio's multi-agency foreclosure prevention effort – the Save the Dream program – has proven to be a lifesaver in providing some Ohioans with assistance to numerous state resources and programs related to foreclosure.
Archived video from the event can be accessed via the Ohio Channel.
As the sixth woman and 148th Justice to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008. She has experience as a practicing attorney, magistrate, common pleas judge, and prosecuting attorney. In 1998, she was elected as lieutenant governor and was the governor's chief advisor on criminal justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio's Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee.
May 17, 2010
Justice O'Connor Attends Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Commencement Ceremony
Wearing a judicial robe on her back and displaying alma mater pride on her sleeve, Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Maureen O'Connor marched with 180 members of the graduating class of 2010 and faculty on Sunday during the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law commencement ceremony.
The ceremony, held in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, included remarks by Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge. Justice O'Connor, who earned her law degree from Cleveland-Marshall in 1980, said participating in the procession this time around brought back a flood of memories.
"I looked around at all the graduates filled with excitement at what the next stage in their lives would bring," said Justice O'Connor. "I was feeling the exact same thing. I wished them the best, and I look forward to the many ways in which they will impact society in a positive manner."
As the sixth woman and 148th Justice to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008. She has experience as a practicing attorney, magistrate, common pleas judge, and prosecuting attorney. In 1998, she was elected as lieutenant governor and was the governor's chief advisor on criminal justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio's Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee.
May 5, 2010
Justices O'Connor, Lanzinger Attend Red Mass
Supreme Court of Ohio Justices Maureen O'Connor and Judith Ann Lanzinger participated in a robed procession Tuesday at a Mass that recognizes the responsibility of those working in the legal profession.
Dating to 13th Century Europe, judges and lawyers of all faiths gather at Red Mass annually to renew their commitment of service to the rule of law. Today's service was held at St. Joseph Cathedral downtown.
"Celebrating Red Mass each year serves as a reminder that we in the legal profession represent an ideal of service above self," said Justice O'Connor. "It's humbling to reflect on the awesome responsibility that judges, attorneys and government officials have in carrying out the duties we have sworn to uphold."
"This annual service asks for blessings of good judgment and compassion for those in the legal profession," Justice Lanzinger said. "I am grateful for these public prayers for divine guidance, especially because it reminds me that the Court is expected to serve the cause of justice and fairness as we consider matters affecting all Ohioans."
As the sixth woman and 148th Justice to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008. She has experience as a practicing attorney, magistrate, common pleas judge, and prosecuting attorney. In 1998, she was elected as lieutenant governor and was the governor's chief advisor on criminal justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio's Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee.
Justice Lanzinger is the only person ever elected to every level of Ohio's judiciary. The 150th Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, she previously served on the 6th District Court of Appeals for Ohio, the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas and the Toledo Municipal Court. Her varied judicial experience allows her a unique perspective of the state court system. She currently chairs the Supreme Court's Commission on Superintendence, which recommends rules for all Ohio courts.
March 26, 2010
Justice O'Connor Delivers Keynote Speech at Youngstown State Diversity Event
Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Maureen O'Connor served as the keynote speaker Thursday night at the Youngstown State University Diversity Leadership Recognition Celebration.
The annual event recognizes students, faculty, staff, community leaders and/or organizations that are leaders in diversity in the greater Mahoning Valley. Justice O'Connor spoke about the role the justice system plays in achieving diversity.
From implementing a new education component to train judges to recognize and eliminate bias in the courtroom, to making more court forms accessible in many languages, to requiring that court foreign language interpreters become certified, there are numerous ways that Ohio courts support greater diversity throughout the legal system, said Justice O'Connor.
Source: The Youngstown Vindicator
March 5, 2010
Justice O'Connor Moderates Homeland Security Panel
Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Maureen O'Connor today served as the moderator for a Homeland Security panel discussion that compared and contrasted the antiterrorism policies of the Bush and Obama administrations.
Sponsored by the Federalist Society, Columbus Lawyers Chapter, the event featured Gregory Katsas, former assistant attorney general with the U.S. Department of Justice in the Bush administration, and Peter Shane, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law professor, who specializes in separation of power issues.
While serving as the first chair of the Ohio Security Task Force, the state was treading new ground in responding to new threats of terrorism in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks," said Justice O'Connor. "I was interested to learn how this complex issue has evolved since then.
As the sixth woman and 148th Justice to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008. She has experience as a practicing attorney, magistrate, common pleas judge, and prosecuting attorney. In 1998, she was elected as lieutenant governor and was the governor's chief advisor on criminal justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio's Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee.
Feb. 3, 2010
Justice O'Connor Addresses Municipal, County Judges
Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Maureen O'Connor spoke today at the Association of Municipal and County Judges of Ohio winter conference in Dublin.
In addition, to addressing topical issues of importance to municipal/county judges, Justice O'Connor also administered the oath of office to the association's 2010 officers.
"Our municipal and county courts are the busiest in our justice system," said Justice O'Connor. "Because of that, we are fortunate in Ohio to have the high caliber of judges that sit on the bench at this jurisdiction."
As the sixth woman and 148th Justice to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008. She has experience as a practicing attorney, magistrate, common pleas judge, and prosecuting attorney. In 1998, she was elected as lieutenant governor and was the governor's chief advisor on criminal justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio's Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee.