Judge Beatty’s career started with the law firm of Frost Brown Todd in Cincinnati. Later she joined Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter in Columbus.  In 2009, she was appointed  to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, and 2010 saw her amazing election to that judgeship.  This profile appears as part of the Collective for Women Magazine Women in Law Article Series.

“I grew up in a family that valued community service.  My father was a lawyer who served in the Ohio House of Representatives for 19 years, and my mother was very active in our community.  I learned, at a very early age, how important service was in making the government work for people.  As a judge, I make decisions that directly affect the lives of people.  The decisions that I make as a judge have the potential to take away someone’s liberty or even their livelihood.    

Being an elected official is an amazing experience, and I am grateful that the people of Franklin County have placed their faith in me.  There are moments that are challenging.  People who I’ve never met have questioned my decisions, and that has taken some getting used to.  Ultimately I realized that the only thing I needed to think about was how to be the best judge I could be.  I believe in the work that I do, and I have to trust that that work speaks for itself. 

Campaigning is hard work!  I had always been active in my father’s campaigns, and I worked on campaigns at the local, state and national levels.  There is a huge difference between being a staff person on a campaign and being a candidate.  All of the time that I spent being active in my community was the foundation of my campaign. It was a huge challenge.  In the end, I won my election overwhelmingly, with 68 percent of the vote in Franklin County.  That win, my first, was a defining and humbling moment for me. 

My hope is that more women will choose to run for elected office.  Public service is an extraordinary calling, but even those individuals who choose not to run for elected office can make a powerful impact on the world around them.  Vote.  Take the time to learn about the people who are running for an office, as well as any issues that are on the ballot.  It is a simple way for people to serve the community that they live in.” 

Learn more about Judge Beatty

Magistrate Judge Bowman began her legal career in 2001, focusing on immigration law and later estate planning, real estate, zoning, litigation and business ransactions.  In 2010, she was appointed as a United States magistrate judge for the Southern District of Ohio. This profile appears as part of the Collective for Women Magazine Women in Law Article Series.

“As cliché as it sounds, being a judge has always been a career aspiration for me.  I enjoy helping people in conflict find a solution to their problems, and I can do that as a judge.  I also truly enjoy the law.  Instead of representing either side, I find it refreshing to be a neutral party with the responsibility to apply the facts of any given situation to the law. 

But one of the things I struggle with every day is balancing my duties as a judge, my desire to give back to the community and my responsibilities as a wife and mother.  Unfortunately, the day is only so long.  What works for me best right now is just being flexible. 

And I believe that my work as an attorney in private practice and as a law clerk helped make me into the person I am today.  Each experience and each case taught me something new.  However, it was my time working as Judge Barrett’s law clerk that provided me with the exposure and insight into the federal judicial system. That solidified my desire to become a judge and to apply for the open federal magistrate judge position.   

Still, no matter how much time you spent in school or how long you have been practicing law, there is always something new that you can learn that will help you better yourself.  You can never be too knowledgeable.  

It is also very important to have a sounding board: a friend, mentor or colleague you can turn to when you need to bounce ideas around or seek advice.  I am so fortunate to have such wonderful colleagues and mentors in the Southern District of Ohio and Eastern District of Kentucky who have helped me tremendously since I was appointed to this position.

My hope is that women continue to seek positions in the judiciary.  I love coming to work every day, and that is a feeling that I hope for all female practitioners.  Although at times it is difficult to maintain a good work-life balance, the rewards from each make me strive harder every day to be a better judge, a better wife, a better mom and a better friend.”

Learn more about Magistrate Bowman.

Justice McGee Brown started her judicial career in 1993 as a judge for the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch.  After retiring in 2002 to establish the Center for Child and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, she returned in 2011.  She joined the Supreme Court of Ohio and became the first African-American woman on the Court. This profile appears as part of the Collective for Women Magazine Women in Law Article Series.

“I had always been successful in school and work, and when the opportunity came to run for judge I almost didn’t do it because I was afraid of failure.  However, a friend told me that if fear was the only reason I wasn’t going to run, that was unacceptable.  Now I accept challenges and look at them as opportunities. I focus on my skill sets and what I can accomplish, and I make sure I have a support system. I understand the importance of preparation and work. Hard work and preparation open many doors.

I realized I wanted to become a judge when I was the chief legal counsel to the Ohio Department of Youth Services.  After a couple of years, I decided I was on the wrong side of the system and that I could make a difference for children to keep them from ending up in the Juvenile Corrections System. I wanted to make the system better for children.

I can’t really point to one defining moment. I have a great career that has allowed me to do so many different things.  I feel blessed to have this career and to be a wife and a mother. I have a wonderful life.

But while 2011 is a historic year for the Supreme Court of Ohio—our first female chief justice in the Court’s 208-year history; our first African American woman justice—we have only had eight women serve on the Supreme Court. Women account for only 25 percent of Ohio’s judiciary, and nationally only 15 percent of equity partners in law firms are women.

My advice is to do what you love. Pick an area of the law that you are interested in and you will excel. If you want to be a judge, my advice is to be confident, develop a network of supporters, and engage in your bar association. Above all, work hard and always be prepared.”

Learn more about Justice Yvette McGee Brown 

Maureen O’Connor, Chief Justice, The Supreme Court of Ohio

Chief Justice O’Connor was first elected as justice to the Supreme Court of Ohio in 2002, and in 2010 was elected as chief justice, making her the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court.  Her most recent efforts focus on improved diversity among the bench and bar, and increased access to justice.  This profile appears as part of the Collective for Women Magazine Women in Law Article Series.

“After a year of graduate school, I realized that I was pursuing the wrong degree. I was studying to become a teacher, and I realized I really wanted to be a lawyer.

As a magistrate in Summit County Probate Court and interacting with judges on a daily basis, I realized that I had the experience, temperament and ability to be a judge. I enjoyed the problem-solving challenges that face a judge. Of course, I always enjoyed the trial end, too. And now as chief justice, I’m grateful for the chance to lead initiatives that improve the judicial branch.

And when I first began thinking about being chief justice, I always had the notion that Tom Moyer, the former chief justice of 24 years, would always be a phone call away.  Obviously, that did not turn out to be true. Like the rest of the Court and the Ohio legal community, I was stunned and shocked by his death. He was an unparalleled leader, respected and admired throughout the state and across the country. He was also a dear friend and mentor. Once elected to the position of chief justice, I realized his legacy could mentor me. I use that legacy as the basis for my vision for the future of the Ohio judicial branch.

My hope is that someday very soon we will no longer be making history. That is, I’d like to get to the point when we are no longer counting the first, second or even tenth woman or minority on the Supreme Court or elsewhere. I am extremely proud to be the first woman chief justice of the Supreme Court, but I would be sorry to see my other accomplishments, or those of Jo Ann Davidson, the first woman speaker of the House, or Betty Montgomery, the first woman to serve as state attorney general and auditor, get lost behind the recognition of the milestone. My colleagues, Eve Stratton, the first woman to sit on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, and Yvette McGee Brown, the first African-American woman on the Supreme Court, have accomplished and will accomplish far more than those “first” labels. So, while those accomplishments are important, we have to keep going.

What is important for all young people to know, women or men, is that in Ohio and the United States you can become who you want and accomplish what you want regardless of gender or background. The opportunities are here. You have to be willing to look for them and work hard, but they are here.”

Learn more about Chief Justice O'Connor