Eleventh District Court of Appeals Judge Matt Lynch

Eleventh District Court of Appeals Judge Matt Lynch

Judge Matt Lynch comes from a long line of attorneys, but sitting on the Ohio Supreme Court for oral arguments Wednesday was a first for his family.

Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy selected Judge Lynch of the Eleventh District Court of Appeals to sit for Justice Daniel R. Hawkins, who recused himself from Ashland Global Holdings v. SuperAsh Remainderman.

The Ohio Constitution gives the chief justice authority to assign an appellate judge to hear a Supreme Court case when a justice recuses.

“I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to the legal system and the system of justice. It’s never more weighty, never more impressive than when you’re visiting the Ohio Supreme Court,” said Judge Lynch. “It’s quite the thing, and it’s a privilege to participate, that’s for sure.”

On the appellate court, Judge Lynch enjoys the group aspect of deciding cases.

“I love our judicial conferences because it’s an opportunity to go in depth with other very experienced judges about whatever the issue might be,” said Judge Lynch.

He looked forward to sharing the decision-making and reasoning process with the Supreme Court justices after hearing his assigned case. The appeal examines whether a trial court can override the terms of a contract under the honest mistake doctrine.

Judge Lynch’s career as both an attorney and a legislator in the Ohio House of Representatives was carved by his family. His grandfather on his mother’s side was an attorney in Washington, D.C., where his parents met and married. Judge Lynch’s father also worked in the nation’s capital as a government attorney.

“He actually was involved in some of the early legal proceedings to build the Pentagon building, believe it or not,” said Judge Lynch.

In the 1950s, his father became chief regional counsel for the IRS and was stationed in Cleveland, where he and his wife would raise their nine children.

“When I was growing up, my father was kind of a formal guy,” said Judge Lynch.

Meals were served in the dining room, where milk was served from a pitcher, collared shirts were mandatory, and discussions were about current events. Judge Lynch thinks of his family’s dinner table as more than a place for meals.

“We didn't have place mats or dinner plates, we had lecterns. You had to be prepared to speak up and speak your mind and defend your position,” Judge Lynch joked. “And I never thought about it at the time, but it made sense that six of us became attorneys.”

Besides Judge Lynch, four brothers and a sister joined the legal profession. Several of them had the privilege of working with their father at the family law firm, Lynch & Lynch. Judge Lynch’s mother worked as their secretary, and his father continued to practice at the firm into his 90s. Even Judge Lynch’s daughter spent some time at the firm before becoming chief clerk of the Geauga County Probate Court.

“For 70 years there’s been a Lynch lawyer practicing in northeast Ohio,” said Judge Lynch.

The legacy continues with Judge Lynch’s nephew, who was recently elected to serve alongside his uncle as a judge on the Eleventh District Court of Appeals.

Judge Lynch will have the honor of swearing in his nephew, Scott Lynch, later this month.