Justice O'Connor Speaks to Medina Area Legal Professionals

Justice Maureen O'Connor of the Supreme Court of Ohio spoke with members of the Medina County legal community Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007, during the 30^th Anniversary Celebration of the Medina County Association for Legal Professionals. The evening event took place at the Medina County Courthouse in downtown Medina.

Justice O'Connor congratulated the association on its anniversary and acknowledged the more than 60 attorneys who were recognized during the celebration for their 30 or more years of legal practice in Medina County.

"I commend the dedication of this association and its members for their many years of commitment to the legal profession,” Justice O'Connor said. “The association is a great asset to the community for its ongoing commitment to professionalism in the legal field, the scholarships it supports and the networking opportunities it provides its membership.”

The event also was attended by several local judges including Medina Municipal Court Judge Dale H. Chase, Wadsworth Municipal Court Judge Stephen B. McIlvaine and Judge Christopher J. Collier of the Medina County Court of Common Pleas.

The Medina County Association for Legal Professionals consists of legal assistants, legal secretaries, law office managers, paralegals and other court employees who live and work in Medina, Summit, Wayne and Cuyahoga counties. The group is dedicated to enhancing the professionalism of those who work in the legal support field through education, certification of skills and networking. The organization was formed as the Medina County Legal Secretaries Association in August 1977 and is a chartered affiliate of the national Association for Legal Professionals.

Justice O'Connor was elected in 2002 as the 148^th Justice on the Supreme Court of Ohio and the seventh woman to serve on the Court. She has experience as a practicing attorney, magistrate, common pleas judge, and prosecuting attorney. In 1998, she was elected as lieutenant governor and was the governor's chief advisor on criminal justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio's Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee.