Justice O’Connor Judges National Finals of We the People Civic Competition

Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Maureen O’Connor served as a judge at the 21^st annual We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution National Finals May 3-4 in Washington, D.C.

During the competition, which is sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, high school classes address historical, political and constitutional issues before a panel of three judges acting as a congressional committee in the format of a simulated congressional hearing. Justice O’Connor will judge half-day sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

“The level of preparation for and in-depth understanding of the competition’s subject matter is quite impressive,” said Justice O’Connor, who has judged past We the People competitions in Ohio. “These students are extremely dedicated and interested in our government. Their knowledge of the Constitution will impact their lives as citizens and maybe even government officials. I firmly believe that we are meeting our future legislative, judicial and executive leaders when we witness the We the People competitions.”

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.