Judith L. French appointed to Ohio Supreme Court

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has appointed Judge Judith L. French from the 10th District Court of Appeals, to the Ohio Supreme Court.

French, 50, of Mahoning County, replaces retiring Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton.

According to the governor's office, French was appointed to the Court of Appeals in October 2004, elected in November 2004, and re-elected in November 2010.

She served on an eight-member court with jurisdiction over civil, criminal and administrative appeals. In addition, she has joined the Ohio Supreme Court as a visiting judge several times and as a visiting judge on the Second, Third, Fourth and Ninth District Courts of Appeals.

French began her legal career as an associate for Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur from 1988-1992.

In 1993, French heeded the call to public service when she began serving as the Deputy Director for Legal Affairs at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

She joined the office of Attorney General Betty Montgomery in 1997 as Section Chief and later became Chief Counsel.

In 2002, she argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris to defend the Cleveland school choice program and emerged victorious by a 5-4 margin. 

Earlier, she appeared in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to advocate the state’s position on environmental regulations in Whitman v. American Trucking Associations, Inc.

In 2002, she joined the Office of Governor Bob Taft as his Chief Counsel and served until her appointment to the Tenth District Court of Appeals in 2004.

In 1988, French graduated cum laude from The Ohio State University College of Law and received a Master’s Degree in History (Military History & Strategic Studies) from OSU.

Judge French lives in central Ohio with her husband and two children.