Tenth District Judge Terri Jamison sits for her first Supreme Court oral argument.

Tenth District Judge Terri Jamison sits for her first Supreme Court oral argument.

Judge Terri Jamison’s life approach comes from the motto of her elementary school in rural West Virginia, “Striving to excel.” That standard has pushed her from being a coal miner to a trial and appellate judge, and now, a visiting judge for the Supreme Court of Ohio.

“You should always aspire to reach the top of your profession,” Judge Jamison said.

Judge Jamison – on the Tenth District Court of Appeals since 2021 – heard the disciplinary case involving Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Daniel Gaul. She sat for Justice Melody J. Stewart, who recused. According to the Ohio Constitution, if there is a justice recusal, the chief justice selects an appellate court judge to sit on the Supreme Court for the designated case.

“To be selected stirred so many emotions given my humble beginnings. I couldn’t wait to read the briefs and research the arguments being presented,” Judge Jamison said.

No matter the case, she has always been devoted to the judicial process. She started as a domestic relations and juvenile judge in Franklin County. Each judge was assigned to handle thousands of cases a year with the help of magistrates who worked under their supervision.  Even with a large caseload, she knew the importance of due process, all parties being heard, and all resolutions being explored given the impact of her rulings on children and families.

“I was good at helping people get through the issues and get the resolution or do the research required for decisions,” Judge Jamison said.

The ability to understand finer points is a large reason why Judge Jamison became an attorney. After she was laid off as a coal miner in the early ‘80s, she moved to Columbus and became an office manager for an insurance agency. A year later, she started and ran her own agency, reviewing contracts and whether claims should be covered. After 16 years, she sold the business to enroll at Capital University Law School. And in February, she received the school’s David D. White Award, which recognizes alumni who have made a significant contribution to the African American community.

She gives back to the legal community through various boards and as an adjunct professor at Capital Law School. Those opportunities allow her to empower future lawyers and judges, especially as an educator. Her teaching focuses on legal knowledge, but there’s plenty of life advice, too. And those points usually leave the biggest imprint.

“I want my students to be excellent attorneys, but the thing about excellence is that it can push you to be great at so many other things in life, too,” Judge Jamison said.