Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judith L. French will be sworn in at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 23, during a ceremony in the Statehouse atrium. Appointed to the Supreme Court by Gov. John Kasich on December 20, 2012, her term began January 1.

This is the final swearing-in ceremony for new or returning justices.

Justice French filled the vacancy left by the retired Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton for a term that ends January 1, 2015. Justice French must run in the November 2014 general election to serve a full six-year term.

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor will give keynote remarks at the ceremony and administer the oath.

Before her appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice French served on the Tenth District Court of Appeals since 2004.

Before taking the appellate bench, Justice French served as chief legal counsel to Governor Bob Taft, chief counsel and assistant Attorney General in the Office of Attorney General Betty D. Montgomery, deputy director for Legal Affairs in the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and in private practice.

Returning Justice Terrence O’Donnell took the oath of office for his second, full six-year term on January 10. Justice William M. O’Neill was sworn in to his first six-year term on the court on December 27, while Justice Sharon L. Kennedy took her oath on December 7 to fill out the final two years of an unexpired term.