Thomas O’Diam

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
I have been Judge of the Greene County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division, for over seven years. On August 2, 2013, I was sworn in to fill the remaining term of retired Judge Robert A. Hagler. I was elected to my first full term in the November 2014 general election and continue in that position today.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Probate law has been the core focus of my entire legal career. I spent the first 28 years as an attorney in private practice concentrating extensively in estate planning, trust, and probate law. I have been in the trenches with thousands of clients, planning for their unique circumstances and guiding them through the often-complex nuances of probate court.

As a practicing attorney, I was part of the inaugural class of attorneys to be certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law by the Ohio State Bar Association. I was the first and only attorney in Greene County certified as a specialist in that area of law before I became Probate Judge. I enjoyed being a frequent speaker and contributing writer on estate and trust planning, including in national venues regarding farm and agribusiness succession planning. While in private practice, I was listed in the Best Lawyers in America by U.S. News and World Report for estate and trust law and real estate law. I also held an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating through Martindale Hubble as an attorney, and continue to hold that distinction as a judge.

It is not just my experience in the technical aspects of probate law that matters, though. My decades of representing probate clients, and now hearing cases as Probate Judge, have given me valuable, real-life, human experience understanding complex family dynamics and other underlying factors that play such an important role in resolving probate matters. That experience is a crucial part of this judicial position. I did not gain this depth of experience overnight. It did not come simply by earning a law degree or reading a few statutes in a law book. It did not just appear the day I first put on a judicial robe.

I developed expertise in probate law through years and years of hard work and focus. Probate is complex and affects the most vulnerable people in our community — the elderly, mentally incompetent, developmentally disabled, mentally ill, families suffering the loss of a loved one, and children searching for a permanent home. I have decades of experience working with the important and difficult circumstances these individuals and families face. I have proven knowledge, experience, and ability to handle the role of Greene County Probate Judge from day one.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am seeking re-election to my second full term as Judge of Greene County Probate Court because I have something unique and valuable to offer our community: my unmatched experience and expertise in probate law, an area that will at some point likely touch every family in our community. My 35 years of experience in probate law gives me a deep understanding of the difficult issues families face and uniquely qualifies me to continue serving as Greene County Probate Court Judge.

My experience earned the confidence of the Governor to appoint me to this important position in 2013. My performance earned the confidence of voters in 2014, electing me to my first full term as Probate Court Judge. My exemplary record of integrity, innovation, and focus on improving public service clearly make me the best choice for leading Greene County Probate Court in the future.