Monroe County to host the Supreme Court in April, 2025.

Monroe County to host the Supreme Court in April, 2025.

The Supreme Court of Ohio has accepted an invitation from the Monroe County Common Pleas Court to hold the 84th session of Off-Site Court on April 23, 2025. These will be the first oral arguments the Court has held in Monroe County as part of the program, which was founded in 1987.

Monroe County is served by the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District, encompassing three high schools and one career center, and is the largest geographic school district in the state.

“Our Supreme Court staff will devote the next four months to planning meetings with Judge Julie Selmon in her role as judicial host of Off-Site Court,” said Civic Education & Outreach Manager Doug Stein. “We will conduct several site visits, and work closely with the school principals and the civics and government faculty in the district. Our marshal of the Court and a team will develop a security plan with local and regional law enforcement. Our aim is to bring the Supreme Court of Ohio to the citizens of Monroe County for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Each session of Off-Site Court requires six months of advance planning and logistics. The program was founded by then-Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer. He knew there were school districts in Ohio that didn’t have the resources to tour all three branches of government, so he brought the judiciary to the people.

“Our Court’s elected and administrative leadership place a premium on an informed and engaged citizenry,” Stein said. “This is the foundation of a free and prosperous republic. By attending a Supreme Court oral argument, then discussing the merits of the case afterward in a de-briefing session with attorneys and Court professionals, the students of Monroe County will gain an appreciation for due process, equal protection, and the right to an appeal.”

The day of Off-Site Court starts early in the morning with students representing all high schools in the county gathering in one place to welcome and meet with the seven justices. Each justice introduces himself or herself, and  the students are invited to ask them questions. The high schools are divided into groups, with each group hearing arguments in one case. Afterward, the students have the opportunity to discuss the case with the attorneys who argued before the justices.

“Dozens of Ohio high school students have been inspired to pursue a career in the law thanks to experiencing  the judicial process  first-hand during Off-Site Court,” Stein said. “This is especially important today because a wide majority of the counties in Ohio are currently underserved with legal representation. These sessions of oral argument serve to inspire and motivate students to see themselves practicing law and helping the people from their hometowns.”

“With Ohio boasting nine colleges of law, the opportunities for a quality law education are endless for students who want to return to their hometown and serve the people of Monroe County,” Stein said.

The Court’s Off-Site curriculum was developed to teach Ohio students the rule of law, the importance of the United States and Ohio constitutions, and the role of the courts in protecting the rights of Ohio citizens.