Maureen O'Connor was born on August 7,1951 and is an American lawyer and judge who served as the chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 2011 to 2022.
12 Facts About Maureen O'Connor
2.
Maureen O'Connor was elected to the court in 2002, becoming chief justice in 2010.
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Maureen O'Connor earned a bachelor's degree at Seton Hill University, Greensburg, Pennsylvania in 1973 and a Juris Doctor degree at the Cleveland State University College of Law in 1980.
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In 1981, Maureen O'Connor began practicing law in Summit County, Ohio.
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Maureen O'Connor was then elected as a judge of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, serving on the bench from 1993 to 1995.
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Maureen O'Connor received "The Cleveland State University Distinguished Alumnae Award for Civic Achievement" in 1997.
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In 1998, Maureen O'Connor was elected Ohio's 61st lieutenant governor and served in that office from 1999 until she resigned at the end of 2002, under Governor Bob Taft.
8.
In 2002, Maureen O'Connor ran for and was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court, defeating Democrat Timothy Black.
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Maureen O'Connor is the sixth woman to have served as an Ohio Supreme Court justice and is the first woman to hold the post of chief justice.
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Maureen O'Connor has been described as an "independent voice" on the Ohio Supreme Court.
11.
Maureen O'Connor dissented on a ruling that upheld the forced closure of the last abortion clinic in Toledo, Ohio; she has expressed support for criminal justice reform; and called for less partisan influence in how judges are selected in Ohio.
12.
In 2022, Maureen O'Connor was the deciding vote in a ruling that struck down a heavily pro-Republican gerrymandered redistricting map.