Judicial-Legislative Exchange Program

Contact If you are interested in an exchange, contact us: Donna Childers 614-387-9763 Donna.Childers@sc.ohio.gov We'll help with everything -- selecting a legislator, visit logistics, and more.

The Judicial-Legislative Exchange Program provides opportunities for both judges and legislators to gain a better appreciation of each other's day-to-day work and to build personal relationships that promote communication and cooperation. While it is modeled on programs in other states, Ohio's program is unique in the nation as being the only one to recognize that mutual understanding is a two-way street and by organizing reciprocal visits: Judges visit legislators at the Statehouse, attending hearings and other legislative functions; Legislators visit judges at their courts, observing court sessions and other aspects of the judges' work. March 10, 2010 Judicial-Legislative Exchange On March 10, 2010 the Ohio Judicial Conference Legislative Committee, Co-Chaired by Judge Jan Michael Long and Judge John Willamowski, held the Spring 2010 Judicial-Legislative Exchange Program.  The exchanges that took place were: Representative Richard Adams; Judge Elizabeth Gutmann (Miami Co. Municipal Court) Representative Nan Baker; Judge John Russo (Cuyahoga Co. Common Pleas Court) Representative Peter Beck; Judge Rupert Ruppert (Franklin Municipal Court) Representative Robin Belcher; Judge Alison Floyd (Cuyahoga Co. Juvenile Court) Representative Terry Blair; Judge Nick Kuntz (Montgomery Co. Juvenile Court) Senator John Carey; Judge William Harsha (Fourth District Court of Appeals) Representative John Patrick Carney; Judge Harland Hale (Franklin Co. Municipal Court - Environmental Division) Representative Denise Driehaus; Judge Jerome Metz (Hamilton Co. Common Pleas Court) Representative Richard Adams; Judge Elizabeth Gutmann (Miami Co. Municipal Court) Representative Stephen Dyer; Judge Timothy Cannon (Eleventh District Court of Appeals) Senator Keith Faber; Judge Mary Pat Zitter (Mercer Co. Probate/Juvenile Court) Representative Lorraine Fende; Judge Larry Allen (Willoughby Municipal Court) Representative Bob Hackett; Judge Denise Moody (Clark Co. Municipal Court) Representative Dave Hall; Judge Stephen McIlvaine (Wadsworth Municipal Court) Representative Marian Harris; Judge Julia Dorrian (Franklin Co. Municipal Court) Senator Shannon Jones; Judge Ethna Cooper (Hamilton Co. Common Pleas Court) Senator Eric Kearney; Judge Dwayne Mallory (Hamilton Co. Municipal Court) Representative Ron Maag; Judge Robert Peeler (Warren Co. Common Pleas Court) Representative Jarrod Martin; Judge Michael Murry (Xenia Municipal Court) Representative Ross McGregor; Judge Joseph Monnin (Clark Co. Domestic Relations/Juvenile Court) Representative Bob Mecklenborg; Judge James Cissell (Hamilton Co. Probate Court) Representative Matt Patten; Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze (Cuyahoga Co. Domestic Relations Court) Senator Tom Patton; Judge Laura Gallagher (Cuyahoga Co. Probate Court) Representative Connie Pillich; Judge Jody Luebbers (Hamilton Co. Common Pleas Court) Representative Ray Pryor; Judge Victor Pontious (Washington C.H. Municipal Court) Senator Tom Sawyer; Judge Clair Dickinson (Ninth District Court of Appeals) Representative Mark Schneider; Judge Eugene Lucci (Lake Co. Common Pleas Court) Representative Peter Stautberg; Judge Elizabeth Mattingly (Hamilton Co. Domestic Relations Court) Representative Matt Patten; Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze (Cuyahoga Co. Domestic Relations Court) Senator Jimmy Stewart; Judge W. Scott Gwin (Fifth District Court of Appeals) Senator Mark Wagoner; Judge Michael Goulding (Toledo Municipal Court) Representative Jim Zehringer; Judge Wilfrid Dues (Preble Co. Probate/Juvenile Court) Participant Comments Since its inception in the fall of 2001, the program has helped arrange around 75 exchanges between judges and legislators.  Both judges and legislators indicate that the exchanges are valuable:  "[The most valuable part was] becoming more personally acquainted with the Representative on an occasion where neither of us have an agenda other than to get to know each other better and to learn more about the others' work and perspective." "[The most valuable part was] seeing how difficult it is for individual legislators to keep up with the volume and to have input on the substance in a proposal." "[The most valuable part was] observing the form which our Judge uses during sentencing. It is now 9 pages long compared to the 2-4 pages it used to be, primarily to account for law changes." Back to the top of the page. Chief Justice Thomas Moyer hosted a luncheon at the Ohio Judicial Center.  In attendance were the exchange participants, other judges and legislators, several members of the Caucus, and several staff members of the Ohio Judicial Conference and Supreme Court of Ohio.  Earlier during the summer and fall, a number of judges and legislators exchanged visits at times of their own arrangements.

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