Judith Ann Lanzinger

Judith Ann Lanzinger

Supreme Court of Ohio
Biography

Judith Ann Lanzinger is the only person ever elected to all four levels of Ohio’s judiciary. Now in her second Supreme Court term, over the last 29 years she has also served on the 6th District Court of Appeals, the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas and the Toledo Municipal Court. And with Joshua Lanzinger joining the municipal bench in 2013, for the first time a mother and son are serving together as state court judges.

Judith Hodorowski was the granddaughter of coal-miners and daughter of a carpenter. After grade school, believing she had a religious vocation, she joined the Sisters of St. Francis in Sylvania, attended Lourdes Jr. College, and then taught as Sr. William Ann at St. Jude elementary school in Toledo. After leaving the order as a novice, she enrolled at the University of Toledo and received her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in education and English. She married Robert Lanzinger and started a family while continuing to teach and before earning a law degree cum laude at the University of Toledo College of Law where she was valedictorian of her class. She was named Distinguished Alumna of her alma mater in 2012.

Before taking the bench, Justice Lanzinger worked in Toledo Edison’s legal department and was a Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick associate attorney. Later, as a judge, she won scholarships to earn a master’s degree in Judicial Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno and the National Judicial College. She has been on the NJC faculty since 1990. She taught trial practice for 18 years at her former law school, as well as judicial courses throughout the U.S. and in the former Soviet Union.
The Justice Judy blog (http://justicejudy.blogspot.com) was started by the justice in 2010 to comment generally about the legal profession and the law. The blog combines her interests in technology and writing.

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Ohio
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Professional Experience
Justice
Supreme Court of Ohio
- Current
Adjunct Professor
University of Toledo College of Law
- Current
Ohio Appellate Judge
6th District Court of Appeals
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Judge
Lucas County Common Pleas Court
-
Administrative Judge 1996
Judge
Toledo Municipal Court
-
Attorney
Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick
-
Attorney
The Toledo Edison Company
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Education
National Judicial College and University of Nevada-Reno
Master of Judicial Studies (1992) | Trial Judge Major
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The University of Toledo College of Law
J.D. (1977)
Honors: Valedictorian
Activities: Law Review, 1976-77
The University of Toledo College of Law Logo
University of Toledo
Bachelor of Education (1968) | English and Education
Honors: magna cum laude, Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Kappa Phi Honoraries
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Awards
Distinguished Alumna Award
University of Toledo, College of Law
Award for Faculty Service
National Judicial College
Award for Service
Common Pleas Judges Association
Award for Service to Judicial Education
Ohio Judicial College
Arabella Babb Mansfield Award
Toledo Women's Bar Association
Professional Associations
Ohio State Bar
Member
Current
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Ohio Courts Historical Society
Supreme Court Liaison
- Current
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130th Ohio General Assembly
Recodification Committee
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Supreme Court of Ohio Style Manual Committee
Chair
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Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Rules of Superintendence
Chair
-
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Ohio Judicial College
Chair
-
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Ohio Judicial College
Board of Trustees
-
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Ohio Futures Commission
Co-Chair of Public Education and Awareness Task Force
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Speaking Engagements
“Ethical Issues in the Law,”, National Judicial College, Ashland, Oregon
September 29 - October 2, 2014
"The Supreme Appeal - How to Do It", Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Toledo Bar Association
Toledo
Remarks, University of Toledo College of Law Alumni, Columbus
Remarks, Jones Leadership Academy, Toledo
“Law, Life & Literature”, Juvenile & Domestic Relations Judges Association Conference, Cincinnati
Websites & Blogs
Website
Supreme Court of Ohio
Website
Court biography
Blog
Justice Judy
Contact & Map
The Supreme Court of Ohio
65 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215-3431
Telephone: (614) 387-9000