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Akron Muni Court Judge O’Brien discusses goals
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: March 8, 2019
Since taking the Akron Municipal Court bench on Jan. 15, Judge Ann Marie O’Brien said she’s been working closely with her colleagues to see how the court might better serve the public.
“The court has extensive programming in place and several dockets designed to help residents overcome challenges,” said Judge O’Brien. “However I want to see if there are unmet needs that we might be able to fill by expanding our current programming or creating new options.”
At the end of 2018, Judge O’Brien was appointed by former Ohio Gov. John Kasich to fill the vacancy created when Judge Kathryn Michael was elected to the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
Judge O’Brien said she does plan to run for election in November 2019 in order to retain the seat for the remainder of Judge Michael’s unexpired term, which ends Jan. 1, 2024.
It’s the second time Judge O’Brien has served on the Akron Municipal Court bench.
In 2017, she was appointed to replace Judge Joy Malek Oldfield after Judge Oldfield was elected to the common pleas bench.
While she was on the bench for less than a year, Judge O’Brien said her familiarity with court procedures has allowed her to hit the ground running.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be back on the bench and I look forward to serving the residents of this community,” she said. “Everything I have done since my volunteerism in junior high school and throughout my career as an attorney has prepared me to be a judge.”
Akron Municipal Court Judge Annalisa S. Williams worked with Judge O’Brien when she was first appointed to the court.
“Judge O’Brien is a thoughtful, dedicated judge, with a great work ethic,” said Judge Williams. “She is concerned about the welfare of those who come before the court.”
Born in Glen Cove, New York, Judge O’Brien moved to Jackson Township, Ohio with her family when she was seven. She later relocated to Portage County, where she attended Southeast High School.
After graduating from high school, she enrolled at Hiram College.
“I was majoring in biology when I got involved in the National Model United Nations,” she said. “My participation got me interested in law so I switched my major to political science.”
Shortly after receiving her bachelor’s degree in political science, she began working as a bailiff/law clerk for retired Wayne County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Brown, attending The University of Akron School of Law in the evening.
About a year later, while still a law student, she accepted a position as a law clerk at Scanlon & Henretta, where she worked with plaintiff personal injury attorney Larry Scanlon.
“Judge O’Brien has excellent lawyering skills,” said Scanlon. “She started here as a law clerk in the late 1980s and spent several years here after she was licensed. She is a quick study. After she left the firm, we were opposing counsel and she was quite formidable.
“She has an excellent temperament that is well suited to the bench,” said Scanlon, president of Scanlon & Elliott. “My current partner Mike Elliott tried a case before her when she previously sat on the bench and he found her to be fair and even-handed during the trial.”
Scanlon served as president-elect when Judge O’Brien was the Akron Bar Association president.
“It was a great experience,” he said. “Judge O’Brien is actively involved in the bar association’s Leadership Academy and was very supportive of leadership roles for our younger bar members.”
When she left Scanlon & Henretta, Judge O’Brien joined Davis & Young, representing plaintiffs and defendants in matters ranging from motor vehicle accidents and complex bodily injury and wrongful death claims to construction and insurance as well as nursing home negligence.
While she was at Davis & Young, she completed basic and advanced divorce mediation training.
Prior to her appointment to the Akron Municipal Court bench in 2017, she served as Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Tammy O’Brien’s judicial attorney.
“I served on the municipal court bench until Jan 2018,” she said. “Afterwards, I returned to private practice as a solo practitioner. I expanded my practice to include criminal felony representation and I obtained my CASA certification.”
Attorney Rhonda Davis has known Judge O’Brien for over 20 years.
“I met Judge O’Brien when I first came to Akron in 1994,” said Davis. “We were co-counsel on a grievance and discipline case before the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct and a couple of cases in the past and we were on opposite sides of a case on a couple of occasions.
“We have also done CLE presentations at the Akron Bar Association together,” said Davis.
“Judge O’Brien has a very diverse legal background. She is an excellent lawyer, who is well prepared and consistent in temperament, all qualities that will make her a good judge.”
Over the years, Judge O’Brien has been actively involved in a number of legal organizations.
In addition to being president of the Akron Bar Association, Judge O’Brien is a former member of the board of trustees and served on the Akron Bar Association Grievance Committee for many years.
She continues to serve on the Ohio State Bar Association Grievance Committee.
She currently co-chairs the Summit County Collaborative Against Human Trafficking Education and Outreach Subcommittee and actively speaks on the issue of human trafficking.
Judge O’Brien lives in Akron with her daughter, rescue kittens Molly, Lilly and Mitty and a French bulldog named Toby.
She has volunteered at various equine and animal welfare organizations and is active at St. Sebastian Parish and school. She also volunteers as a judge for high school mock trial competitions.
Judge O’Brien, who has completed “Bridges Out of Poverty” training, said she is focused on collaborating with her fellow judges to come up with options to increase services to the public.
“I am excited to come to work every day and work with members of the public to help rectify their issues so they can lead productive lives,” said Judge O’Brien.