The Supreme Court of Ohio
& The Ohio Judicial System

Justice
Terrence O'Donnell

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Justice Terrence O’Donnell has been a member of the state judiciary for more than 25 years and has served on both the trial court and appellate court before being elected to the Ohio Supreme Court. 

He began his legal career as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice J.J.P. Corrigan in 1971 and then clerked for Judge John V. Corrigan and Judge John M. Manos on the 8^th District Court of Appeals in Cuyahoga County, where he later returned as an appellate judge. Justice O’Donnell also served as a judge on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas for 14 years.

Justice O’Donnell brings a wide array of related service to the Supreme Court, having served as Chairman of the Cleveland Bar Association Law Related Education Committee and the Student Essay Contest. A former schoolteacher, Justice O’Donnell is a founding member and past president of the Legal Eagles — a law fraternity for alumni of St. Edward High School in Lakewood — and a lecturer at its year-end seminar.

Justice O’Donnell’s prior service also includes serving on the Supreme Court Statistical Reporting Committee and the Commission on Professionalism. He also continues to lecture on professionalism and ethics at continuing legal education programs throughout Ohio. His efforts to implement a statewide lawyer mentoring program have come to fruition and are widely acclaimed.

Justice O’Donnell also has served as Chairman of the Ohio Legal Rights Service Commission, which oversees the protection and advocacy of the mentally retarded and mentally ill statewide. He is a past member of the board of trustees of Our Lady of the Wayside, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the mentally and physically challenged. His brother, John, is a group-home resident at Fairview House, which is owned and serviced by Our Lady of the Wayside.

The Justice is a past board member of Magnificat High School and the Lawyers Guild of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, as well as a member of the Ohio State Bar Foundation Fellows Class of 2005.

Justice O’Donnell has been honored by every school and university he attended. St. Edward High School presented him with its Alumnus of the Year Award in 2005, Kent State University recognized him as an outstanding graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences, and Cleveland State University awarded its Distinguished Alumni Award. In addition, the University of Akron School of Law conferred an honorary doctor of law degree when he presented the Commencement Address in 2005.

Justice O’Donnell currently resides in Rocky River with his wife, Mary Beth. The couple has four adult children — Terrence, Michael and Colleen, all of whom are attorneys; and Nora, who teaches English at St. John College in Washington, D.C.

Last day of current term: Dec. 31, 2012.

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