New Magistrates Learn the Ropes
By Anne Yeager | March 14, 2018
It's not easy transitioning from the bar to the bench.
That's why the Ohio Supreme Court's Judicial College recently offered a three-day-orientation course to teach 47 magistrates about how to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor offered advice and guidance.
"Maybe sometimes the best solution isn't the legal solution, but rather a compromise," said Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor "A solution that you've been able to fashion because you listened, you instilled some level of trust from the parties, and the proposed solution will make sense, save time, money, and just as importantly, allow people to move on."
Jamie Agnew was appointed to the Toledo Municipal Court and she has a lot of questions.
"I'm very new so one of the things coming to this magistrate conference that was great for me is that I don't take the bench for a couple of weeks, " said Agnew. "A lot of people I'm running into at the conference, they've been on the bench for six months to one year. Gaining all that knowledge from not only the presenters and all the education you get from the conference itself, I'm learning from everybody else."
The attendees evaluated and learned how to improve their decision-making and writing skills. They also discussed ethical issues that may come up in the courtroom.
Michelle Hay is a new magistrate with Summit County Common Pleas Court. She has a passion for public service.
"I've worked for eight years in litigation at both big law firms and in-house," said Hay. "I really wanted to get involved in the judicial system and make an impact on the community."
These magistrates will continue their education throughout their tenure on the bench. Ohio magistrates must complete 24 hours of continuing legal education, including 10 hours of instruction offered by the Judicial College, every two years.