Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judi French will speak to Ohio Northern University’s incoming law class in the Pettit College of Law’s Celebrezze Court Room on Friday, Aug. 22, at 1:30 p.m.

Justice French’s lecture will focus on the Ohio Supreme Court and opportunities for attorneys within today’s legal field.

Justice French became a justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio on Jan. 1, 2013, after her appointment by Gov. John Kasich. For the past two decades, French has dedicated her career to public service. In that time, she has served the state of Ohio as a lawyer for a state agency, an assistant attorney general, a counsel to the governor, and a judge.

In 1993, she joined the Ohio EPA as deputy director for legal affairs. From 1997 to 2002, she worked for Attorney General Betty Montgomery as an assistant attorney general and, later, as chief counsel.

During her time in the attorney general’s office, Justice French argued two cases before the United States Supreme Court. One of those cases was the Cleveland School Vouchers case, in which she served as lead counsel. Her successful presentation of the state’s position helped ensure equitable educational opportunities for every Ohio student.

From 2002 to 2004, Justice French served as chief legal counsel to Gov. Bob Taft. In that role, she served as the chair of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Task Force, which made recommendations to the legislature for making Ohio’s sex-offender laws more effective.

In 2004, Justice French was elected as a judge on the 10th District Court of Appeals, which hears appeals from Franklin County courts and state administrative agencies. While a judge on the court of appeals for eight years, she authored more than 800 legal opinions. She served in this capacity until her appointment by Gov. Kasich to the Ohio Supreme Court in December 2012.