The Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College has reached a golden year – its 50th anniversary. The organization, which designs education for judges, magistrates, court personnel, and others across the state, has many successes to reflect on after five decades of service to Ohio courts.

The milestone anniversary is a moment to highlight the achievements – from providing timely and relevant courses for judges to offering education for many individuals connected to the courts. And it’s an opportunity to consider how the Judicial College can continue to build on its accomplishments and keep judicial officers and court staff prepared and informed to best serve their communities.

The genesis of the organization was a 1976 dialogue between a municipal court judge and a Supreme Court of Ohio justice. That discussion led to the establishment of the Judicial College: It made Ohio one of the first states in the country to offer education specifically targeted to judges and launched 50 years of commitment to education for Ohio courts. Since its beginning, the College has expanded the audiences it reaches to include magistrates, court administrators, clerks of court, and probation officers. The College has also developed mandatory courses for guardians ad litem, guardians for adults, and custody evaluators.

Along the way, the world evolved. Typewriters were supplanted by computers and email. Databases became central to legal research. The Internet age dawned. Court processes were automated with electronic filing and e-discovery. Laptops and smartphones appeared in courtrooms. And technology keeps barreling ahead. Across 50 years, Judicial College courses have gone from in-person only to audio-recordings, videotapes, and teleconferences to today’s live-streaming and on-demand options.

Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy noted that judicial education once was limited largely to “on-the-job training,” but over time courts recognized the importance of more formal, specialized instruction. In 1981, years before continuing legal education became a requirement for attorneys, the Supreme Court made it mandatory for judges to complete 20 hours of education annually. Judges have been required to attend the New Judges Orientation since 2007, and an orientation for new magistrates became mandatory in 2019.

“Continuing education not only keeps judges up to date on legal developments and ethical requirements, but it can also inform them about emerging fields that intersect with the law, such as artificial intelligence,” Chief Justice Kennedy said.

As times keep changing, the Judicial College staff continues its commitment to adapt its top-notch education for judicial officers, court personnel, and others to best meet their professional needs and duties – and to stay prepared for the evolving demands of the justice system.

Courses and Formats Multiply
In the past 10 years alone, many improvements can be catalogued, including the growth in the number of courses. Initially, the Judicial College presented education on one topic, updates to drunk driving laws in the 1970s. Last year, the College offered 400 courses. How it delivers education to judicial officers and other audiences also has widened considerably in the last decade.

“The mainstay has always been the live education,” said Judicial College Director Christopher Fields. “In addition, over the past several years, the College and the Court have really invested in the online on-demand courses. The goal has been to supplement live education with 24/7 access to courses whenever judges and others need it. They don’t need to wait.”

To illustrate, he mentions options for individuals who are appointed as judges and begin their terms outside the normal cycle.  

“Our online courses in addition to the materials we can provide them can help them get up to speed as quickly as possible, versus waiting for the next New Judges Orientation,” he said.

Currently, there are 173 courses available on demand. It’s an indicator of the more extensive accessibility and flexibility offered to judicial officers, court staff, and others who rely on the College for training, Fields noted.

Flagship Orientation Remains Central
The engine of the Judicial College is its premier course – the New Judges Orientation. It’s the foundation of the education produced for judges, and one they highly value. In 2025, the orientation was presented to 93 new judges.

Judge Stephen McIntosh of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, who has been on the bench for 20 years, said the orientation helped him learn what he didn’t know.

“From the perspective of a practicing attorney, we know quite a bit but not from the judicial perspective,” Judge McIntosh said.

He said the New Judges Orientation gives judges the nuts and bolts of how to go about handling a plea or imposing a sentence, and even more.

“It also is an opportunity to talk about best practices once you get on the bench, what you need to prepare for early, and things you never anticipated or expected,” he said. “It’s the kind of information that you would not get if you just took the bench.”

Staying Relevant Serves Audiences
To educate effectively, the Judicial College responds to the professional needs of their audiences and to Supreme Court priorities. Among the topics covered in new courses from the College in recent years: public safety and reporting case information to the Bureau of Criminal Identification; court docket management and case backlogs; new state cannabis laws; and Marsy’s Law.

“We work with planning groups who are representative of those we educate throughout the year to make sure we are identifying their needs and planning courses associated with that,” Fields said. “We also recently developed education about case time guidelines when the standards were updated. We helped share and explain the standards with judicial officers and court staff.”

The case time guideline efforts, which are ongoing, have included webinars and online courses focused on effective practices, statutory reporting, and jurisdiction-specific challenges.

“The Judicial College is extremely responsive to new trends, new law or legal concepts, and new technology, and they get the word out,” said Judge Jennifer Petrella of the Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court.

She noted that judges will ask the College for assistance when developments occur or when they encounter issues in their communities that affect courts.

“We’ll ask: Can you assist us with some education on this? Do you have any resources for technology that might help?” Judge Petrella said.

The relevant education and insights provided by the College also extend beyond judicial officers and court staff to guardians ad litem, guardians for adults, and custody evaluators. The groups all interact with courts, and many of them aren’t attorneys.

Guardians ad litem, who represent a child’s best interests in court, must take Judicial College courses before serving in the role and each year after. Custody evaluators, who conduct assessments in child custody disputes, have been mandated since 2023 to complete 40 hours of initial training. And guardians of adults since 2015 are required to take certain education, and the College assists them. In the first year, nearly 11,000 adult guardians took their courses through the College.

The Judicial College stays tuned in to the professional needs of these groups as well. Fields noted that multiple courses were recently updated for adult guardians to incorporate the latest changes in government benefits and fundamental guardianship principles.

Impact Starts With Meeting Others Across State
Those who’ve taken courses through the Judicial College often identify another benefit of immense value to them – the connections they make throughout Ohio. Judge Petrella said the people she has met from courts have been a great asset.

“I’ve made community connections so that when an odd situation comes up, I can easily call or email them and ask if anybody else has run into this, or how they are dealing with implementation of a new law,” she said.

Berlin Carroll, court administrator for the Allen County Probate and Juvenile Court, also appreciates the ability to network and share ideas.

“Because of the Judicial College, there’s a place where you can meet people who are doing the same kind a job as you,” Carroll said. “You can learn from professionals, and you can put that education to work for the benefit of the community that you live in.”

Recent Projects Tailored to Enrich Education
The latest initiatives of the Judicial College demonstrate its firm footing in providing excellent education today, with an eye toward the future:

Enhancing Educational Infrastructure: The Judicial College continues to refine and strengthen OhioCourtEDU, the learning management system implemented in 2024. The platform supports online course delivery, credit tracking, registrations, and access to on-demand education. Since its launch, more than 40,000 judges, magistrates, court staff, and members of the public have accessed the system.

Mentorship Pairing Improvements: The Judicial College improved processes and technology last year to significantly reduce the time needed to pair new judges and magistrates with experienced mentors, as required by the Rules for the Government of the Judiciary of Ohio.

Resources for the Bench: During 2025, the College invested in identifying, curating, and preparing educational materials and course resources for broader access. This year, the College is constructing and implementing a process to make course resources and practical tools available statewide to judicial officers, attorneys, and the general public.

Artificial Intelligence and Courts: Recognizing the implications of artificial intelligence for the judiciary, the College offered two statewide webinars in 2025 addressing ethical considerations, access to justice, and the practical impact of AI in the courts. Nearly 2,700 judges, magistrates, and attorneys participated. The programs provided guidance on navigating the emerging technology while upholding ethical standards.

Looking Ahead to 50 More Years
Among the Judicial College’s aspirations for the next 50 years is to maximize the value and impact of its courses. At the top of the list is a comprehensive review of the New Judges Orientation program. A steering committee and subcommittees of judges and magistrates are evaluating content, timing, and delivery methods of the flagship education. For the program’s continued effectiveness, it will be examined to ensure that new judicial officers receive the most essential education at the best time through flexible, accessible formats to meet individual learning needs. Education for other audiences will also be reviewed and enhanced as appropriate. In addition, the College continually considers the quality and variety of tools that can most effectively provide the courses.

The College also plans to support Supreme Court offices. Goals include sharing resources and expertise to present education to Court staff and to offer education for providers of continuing legal education to more effectively use the sponsor portal. In ongoing efforts for local courts and the legal profession generally, anticipated course topics include strengthening discovery management, using AI in court interpretation and translation, revising online mediation education, providing proactive management-based regulation education, and assisting with the judicial candidate seminar.

Chief Justice Kennedy emphasized that judicial education strengthens both the courts and the public’s trust in them. She said education advances access to justice by equipping judicial officers to better serve vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and those with mental health challenges.

“Public trust in the court system depends on judges’ competence and well-reasoned rulings,” she said. “In these ways, an educated and prepared judiciary improves the administration of justice in Ohio and reinforces public confidence in the courts.”

The Judicial College remains fully committed to furthering education for its audiences for the next 50 years – and beyond. Moving forward, Fields noted that the staff is fortunate to have 50 years of excellence on which to build.

“We acknowledge the foundation, the expertise, and the excellence that has come before us and want to amplify those aspects that work really well,” he said. “Nothing in this work has been done without the judiciary, staff, and court personnel across the state who have helped us to deliver that education and done so successfully.”

Fields said it’s crucial for the future to maintain excellence, and he describes the long-term strategy as continuing to produce the highest quality education possible in the best ways.

“It’s just such an important responsibility – to take that and do our best to continue to serve in the same spirit,” he said.

At the heart of the decades of constructing thoughtfully designed education is a dedication to ensuring that justice is achieved in every courtroom with knowledge, integrity, and skill. Judge Petrella noted how invaluable the courses have been for her.

“The Judicial College opened a door for me that I never got from law school or from college,” she said. “I’ve met people of different backgrounds and ages, from smaller communities and larger communities. But they are people who are all thirsting for education about their position in courts and how we can best serve the public.”