Justice Lanzinger Participates in Elected Judiciary Panel Discussion

Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger joined three other jurists Aug. 28 for a panel discussion about the merits of an elected judiciary.

Sponsored by the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, the event took place at the Barrister Club at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Richard Saphire, a University of Dayton School of Law professor, served as moderator. Other panelists included Judge Judith L. French, 10^th District Court of Appeals; Judge James Gwin, U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Ohio; and Judge Keith P. Ellison, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

“The selection of judges will always involve political choices, as long as there are fewer judicial positions than there are applicants to fill them,” Justice Lanzinger said. “The real challenge for a state is to balance the need for an independent judiciary with the desire for accountability.”

Justice Lanzinger is the first woman elected to every level of Ohio’s judiciary. The 150^th Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, she previously served on the 6^th District Court of Appeals for Ohio, the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas and the Toledo Municipal Court. Her experience at all levels of the Ohio judiciary 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. As a former elementary and high school teacher, Justice Lanzinger enjoys speaking to the community about the judicial process. She also teaches regularly at the Ohio and National Judicial Colleges.