Maureen O'Connor

For the California politician, see Maureen O'Connor (California politician). For the American journalist, see Maureen O'Connor (journalist).

Maureen O'Connor (born August 7, 1951) is an American jurist and the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Prior to this, O'Connor served as an Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court and as the 61st Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, serving under Governor Bob Taft. She is a Republican.

Education and experience

O'Connor earned a bachelor's degree at Seton Hill University, Greensburg, Pennsylvania in 1973 and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1980. In 1981, O'Connor began practicing law in Summit County, Ohio. In 1985 she was appointed a magistrate of the Summit County Probate Court. She was then elected as a judge of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, serving on the bench from 1993 to 1995. In 1994 she was elected to the office of Summit County prosecutor and served in that office from 1995 to 1999.

Service as Ohio Lieutenant Governor

In 1998, O'Connor was elected Ohio's 61st Lieutenant Governor and served in that office from 1999 to 2003 under Governor Bob Taft.

Justice on the Ohio Supreme Court

In 2002, O'Connor ran for and was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court, defeating Democrat Timothy Black. She began serving in 2003. She was reelected in 2008 with 67.14% of the vote against Democrat Joseph Russo. Her current term will expire in 2016. O'Connor defeated Chief Justice Eric Brown in the 2010 general election with 67.59% of the vote. Brown had been appointed Chief Justice by Gov. Ted Strickland in May 2010 after the death of Thomas J. Moyer. She is the sixth woman to have served as an Ohio Supreme Court justice and is the first woman to hold the post of Chief Justice.

See also

• List of Justices of the Ohio Supreme Court
• List of Cleveland–Marshall College of Law alumni

References

Political offices
Preceded by Nancy Hollister	Lieutenant Governor of Ohio 1999–2002	Succeeded by Jennette Bradley
Legal offices
Preceded by Andrew Douglas	Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court 2003–2010	Succeeded by Yvette McGee Brown
Preceded by Eric Brown	Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court 2011–present	Incumbent