Maureen O’Connor

Retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio

Maureen O’Connor was the tenth chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio and the first woman to lead the state judicial branch of government and is presently a Charles F. Kettering Foundation senior fellow. O’Connor first joined the Ohio Supreme Court in 2003, becoming the 148th justice and giving the court its first-ever female majority. Upon her retirement from the court, O’Connor became the longest-serving statewide elected woman in Ohio history. O’Connor is a graduate of the Cleveland State University College of Law and a member of its hall of fame. O’Connor has led significant reforms and improvements in the Ohio judicial system and is a leader nationally. Her commitment to modernization of the courts across the state is unmatched. Since 2015, she has endowed Ohio local courts with more than $35 million to add and enhance technology. This funding has increased access to justice for litigants, defendants, and the public. Her foresight made Ohio a leader in its ability to continue to administer justice through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. O’Connor has worked to improve fairness in the judicial system. She was selected by her peers in the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators to co-chair the National Task Force on Fines, Fees, and Bail Practices in 2016. She is past president of the national Conference of Chief Justices and former board chair of the National Center for State Courts. In retirement, she is spearheading Citizens Not Politicians, a constitutional amendment campaign to reform redistricting in Ohio that is slated for the 2024 ballot.

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation has established an elite group of senior fellows to work with the foundation to advance our pro-inclusive democracy mission. Learn more about all of our Kettering fellows.

Maureen O’Connor was the tenth chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio and the first woman to lead the state judicial branch of government. She first joined the Ohio Supreme Court in 2003, becoming the 148th justice and giving the court its first-ever female majority. Upon her retirement from the court, O’Connor became the longest-serving statewide elected woman in Ohio history. O’Connor is a graduate of the Cleveland State University College of Law and a member of its hall of fame. O’Connor has led significant reforms and improvements in the Ohio judicial system and is a leader nationally. Her commitment to modernization of the courts across the state is unmatched. Since 2015, she has endowed Ohio local courts with more than $35 million to add and enhance technology. This funding has increased access to justice for litigants, defendants, and the public. Her foresight made Ohio a leader in its ability to continue to administer justice through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. O’Connor has worked to improve fairness in the judicial system. She was selected by her peers in the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators to co-chair the National Task Force on Fines, Fees, and Bail Practices in 2016. She is past president of the national Conference of Chief Justices and former board chair of the National Center for State Courts. In retirement, she is spearheading Citizens Not Politicians, a constitutional amendment campaign to reform redistricting in Ohio that is slated for the 2024 ballot.