2023 Annual Report documents a year of accomplishments.

2023 Annual Report documents a year of accomplishments.

The 2023 Annual Report of the Supreme Court of Ohio has been released. Its pages tell how the justices, attorneys and administrative staff of the court strive to meet the needs and expectations of the citizens of Ohio. The Annual Report includes summaries of the cutting-edge questions of law that were decided in 2023, as well as the assistance that court staff provide to judges, attorneys, and the citizens of Ohio.

The Annual Report also tells of the progress in implementing Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy’s guiding principles for the work of the court: service, outreach, and value. “I think you will find that (the Annual Report) provides a clear message that the court enhances the values we all share: excellence, integrity, accountability, equality, independence, trust, respect, and neutrality,” said Chief Justice Kennedy.

The report highlights some of the Court’s major accomplishments from 2023, such as the Summit on Children, the modernization of the attorney registration process, and changes to the Court’s organizational structure. Other accomplishments are also included:

• In 2023, I announced the creation of the Reentry Task Force to make real the goal of ensuring the restored life that awaits formerly incarcerated people back in their communities is attainable and real. The goal is to reduce the number of repeat offenders who come before the courts.
• The Supreme Court awarded through a competitive application process $2.9 million in technology grants to county and local courts that some dedicate to upgrades of case management systems. 
• In 2023, the Court provided transportation grants to 98 Ohio schools which helped thousands of Ohio students to visit the Supreme Court and shown the work of the judiciary.

The Annual Report also introduces the new administrative director of the court, Robert W. Horner III. His first day on the job was July 10th, and immediately set about to develop a strategic plan that will guide the staff moving forward and put in place a new administrative structure to ensure operational efficiencies and leadership development.

“There is an unmistakable culture of individual engagement and accountability that is at the heart of all we do,” said Horner.

2023 was also the year that Chief Justice Kennedy marshalled all partners in the legal community, and key members of the education community, to address the threat to the access of justice caused by a shortage of private practice attorneys in rural communities. The highest concentration of attorneys is in Ohio’s most populated counties, leaving 82 of 88 counties with fewer than one private practice attorney for every 700 citizens.

The Ohio General Assembly responded with funding for the first Rural Practices Initiative that created financial incentives for new attorneys who practice in areas of the state with a shortage of lawyers. Chief Justice Kennedy is focused on a sustainable pipeline for people to enter the profession in the future.