New Judges Attend Judicial College Orientation

About 40 new Ohio judges attended the second week-long orientation session offered by the Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College. Medina County Common Pleas Judge James L. Kimbler was an instructor on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. He taught 19 newly elected or appointed general division common pleas judges. This week’s session delved more deeply into judges’ specific jurisdictional tracks.

For example, common pleas general division judges participated in sessions on civil case matters, evidence, sentencing and sex offenders. In addition, general sessions were held for all judges on topics such as judicial ethics, working with the media and new media, access to justice and fairness in the courts and employment law.

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor spoke on the morning of the first day and encouraged judges to be active participants in their communities.

“As judges, not only can we be engaged with the community without compromising our independence and impartiality, but we must do this,” she said. “In an increasingly interconnected world we as judges must engage with the public and find a way to do this that maintains our independence and impartiality.”
The Judicial College conducts the first orientation session annually in December, after the November election but before the beginning of the new judges’ judicial terms.

Fourteen new judges appointed since December’s orientation joined 27 other new judges who participated in the first session.