A program established by the Ohio Supreme Court as a way for judges, magistrates, and other court personnel to get together to share ideas and concerns will begin a new round of meetings in 2015.

The Local Court Roundtable Meetings bring together court officials of similar jurisdiction and demographics, with agenda topics solicited from roundtable members ahead of each meeting. Staff members of the Supreme Court Office of Court Services facilitate the discussions.

There were 23 roundtable meetings in 2014 with about 380 attendees. Butler County Common Pleas Court Administrator Gary Yates has been attending for more than 25 years.

"I’ve always found the meetings to be of great benefit to me over the years. I’ve been able to find solutions to problems other jurisdictions have already solved, received valuable information from the Ohio Supreme Court staff, and expanded my network of peers throughout the state. Those peers have become true friends who are open and willing to discuss any matters of mutual interest that benefit our courts," Yates said.

All roundtable meetings are held at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center in Columbus. The first meeting of the year will be on March 24 for administrators and clerks from large and urban municipal and county courts. Anyone who would like to participate should contact Gerri Allen at gerri.allen@sc.ohio.gov in order to be added to that roundtable's membership roster.