Judge Mary J. Boyle of the Eighth District Court of Appeals has had many accomplishments over the past 29 years as a judge.

Most recently, Judge Boyle had the opportunity to make an appearance at the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Judge Boyle was elected to the Eighth District Court of Appeals in 2006 and was reelected in 2012, 2018, and recently in 2024. She served as the court’s administrative judge in 2014 and 2021 and currently leads the Ohio Courts of Appeals Judges Association.

Judge Boyle sat for oral arguments at the Supreme Court in place of Justice Joseph T. Deters, hearing Ohio Power Company v. Nationwide Energy Partners LLC, Case No. 2024-0207.The case examined whether state regulators must treat an electric submetering company as a utility.  

“It’s an honor to be assigned to sit at the Supreme Court. I take it with its awesome responsibility that comes with sitting as a jurist,” she said. 

Judge Boyle is originally from Cleveland, although she lived in six different states growing up. Her passion for law began in high school in her current events class, which included discussions of the law.

She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Ithaca College in New York. She was interested in the behavioral aspects of the law, as she found the study of human behavior more interesting than political science.  

“As I learned and understood the law, I loved all aspects of the law,” Judge Boyle said. “I love what I’m doing on the Court of Appeals, because we get to review just about every subject.” 

She returned to Ohio to attend Cleveland-Marshall School of Law, now known as Cleveland State University College of Law. 

Prior to joining the Eighth District, she served as a general division trial judge for 10 years in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. She was first elected as a judge at 32 years old, making her one of the youngest in the state. 

“I’m proud of serving the public,” she said. “Fairly, respectfully, with integrity. Every day I’ve got to accomplish that.” 

She also chaired the Supreme Court’s Commission on Dispute Resolution and was on the committee when it founded many of its programs. The committee was able to bring dispute resolution programs to the Court, for such issues as elder care, parenting coordination, and truancy. One of the major accomplishments of the committee she noted was the Government Conflict Resolution (GCRS) Services program, which assists public officials.

Not only is she making an impact on her own career, but also on students. She has worked with Rotary clubs, mock trial programs, and has also opened her office to students spending a day or week with her. 

In her free time, Judge Boyle enjoys playing golf and pickleball and is active in her book club. She has two adult children.