Judge Robert Hanseman of the Second District Court of Appeals said he enjoyed the experience of being assigned to a Supreme Court of Ohio case. He also explained he didn’t let his enthusiasm take away from the gravity of the case.

“In the end, one must prepare and treat a Supreme Court case like any other case,” he said.

Judge Hanseman heard Lorain County Bar Association v. Baker, Case No. 2026-0164 in May. The case explored the disciplinary ramifications of an attorney lying about falsifying signatures on court documents. The judge sat for Justice Jennifer Brunner, who recused herself from the case. The Ohio Constitution allows the chief justice to appoint an appellate judge to hear a case when there is a recusal. 

Judge Hanseman has decades of experience in the law. Before joining the Second District, he practiced for 24 years at a Dayton-based firm and served as a Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge, which he said led him to appreciate the pressure under which trial court decisions are made. 

He attributes his comfort in the courtroom to early experiences working as an Air Force judge advocate general on a training base in Texas. Having little time for case preparation and a rapid turnaround in court-martial trials and other types of proceedings honed his ability to quickly identify key details of a case and work in a fast-paced environment.

He grew up in a military family that moved from place to place, including Germany and Idaho, before settling in the Dayton area. He chose to pursue a career in law after realizing he liked arguing about current events and government policies while on his high school speech and debate team. He attended Ohio State University, majoring in journalism and political science, before receiving his Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School. 

Judge Hanseman also stays active in his community. Before becoming a judge, he held board positions with his community library and served on a local charitable foundation. Outside of court, he enjoys bicycling on the Little Miami Trail and other trails throughout Ohio.

To up-and-coming lawyers, he advises that they read about the experiences of current or former judges before serving on courts. Learning about their successes and failures as their careers progressed is invaluable information that can inspire a young lawyer’s career, he said.

Judge Hanseman reflected on the satisfaction he has with his career so far. 

“The opportunity to have a positive impact on the community, whether noticed or not, is motivation enough.”