Office: For Judge of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, General Division
Term Beginning 1/2/2021
Age: 53
Residence: Akron
Email: keepjudgeobrien@hotmail.com
Website: judgetammyobrien.com
Social Media:
Occupation: Judge, Summit County Court of Common Pleas, General Division
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education with Honors – University of Akron (1989) Law Degree with Honors – Cleveland Marshall College of Law (1992)
Work Experience: Attorney/Judge for 28 years; Judge since April 2011
Family: 2 adult Children
Affiliations: American Red Cross of Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties – Board of Trustees – 2008 – 2011 and 2012 – present; Akron Bar Foundation Board of Governors, Summit County Facilities Review Board – 2004 – 2011, H.M. Life Opportunity Services Transitional Housing Program – Board of Trustees – 1996-2006; President – 2005–2006; Secretary 2003-2004; H.M. Housing, Inc. Multi-state Low Income Housing Program – Board of Trustees – 2002 – 2003; Fellow of the Akron Bar Association Foundation; Leadership Akron, Class XIV – 1997-1998
Endorsements:
Bar Association Ratings:
(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Judge, Summit County Court of Common Pleas since April 2011
(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Prior to taking the bench, I was in the private practice of law in Akron for nineteen years. From 1999-2011, I was a partner in the law firm of Roderick Linton Belfance LLP, practicing primarily in the areas of business and general civil litigation. I also had extensive experience in appellate practice and in tort and employment litigation and argued before the Supreme Court of Ohio and the federal Courts of Appeals on numerous occasions.
In addition to my litigation practice, I also represented community institutions in facilitating large projects that benefited the public. These included representing the Akron Civic Theatre through all phases of its 7 million renovation project and the University of Akron in its collaboration with Bath Township to establish and manage the Bath Nature Preserve. During my time in private practice, Judge O’Brien also served as an assistant prosecutor for the City of Hudson. Among my professional accolades, I was twice named a “Super Lawyer/Rising Star” in Cincinnati Magazine’s list of top lawyers in Ohio under 40 years of age.
In 1992, I began my career as a judicial law clerk/staff attorney for the Honorable William R. Baird of the Court of Appeals of Ohio, Ninth Appellate District. A former high school teacher, I have also been an adjunct professor of law at the University of Akron and, for many years, have been selected by the Supreme Court of Ohio to serve as a Reader/Grader of the State Bar Examination.
In 2010, I was selected by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to serve on the Merit Selection Panel to select the next Federal Bankruptcy Judge in the Northern District of Ohio. I am also the co-author of a legal treatise involving the introduction of evidence at trial. Ohio Motions in Limine: Evidence Exclusion Guide was published annually by Thomson West from 2007-2010.
(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am the incumbent for this seat, and have held this position since 2011. As a lawyer, educator, author, mother, and now judge, I have committed myself to excellence. I believe in the value of hard work and in investing my time and talent in my family and our community. My education, experience, and history of service to our community makes me extremely well-qualified to continue to serve as your Judge.