Ann Clare Oakar at a glance
- Current role
- Municipal Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Ohio · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Ann Clare Oakar
Municipal Court Judge · Cleveland Municipal Court
Biography
Professional career
- Judge Ann Clare Oakar is the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court, elected in 2017 and re‐elected in 2021, with a career in law, public service, and community advocacy
- She has said she knew she wanted to be a lawyer from age five, inspired by her father, a former U.S. Attorney and law director
Education
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law — J.D. (2001)
- A graduate of Magnificat High School in Rocky River, Ohio, Oakar obtained a Bachelor’s in Sociology from the University of Dayton.
Additional information
- She was re‐elected in November 2021 for a full six‐year term ending January 2, 2028.
- In December 2025, by majority vote of the judges, she became Administrative and Presiding Judge
- overseeing the court’s business and overall direction Cleveland Municipal Court
- Oakar comes from a family with a strong tradition of public service: her father, James L. Oakar, was a former U.S. Attorney and law director; her aunt, Mary Rose Oakar, served in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Ohio House, and on the Cleveland City Council.
- Worked in both civil and criminal divisions at the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, then practiced privately in criminal defense across municipal and county courts Cleveland Municipal Court
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance tells courts to include instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses when remote-hearing information is sent to participants.
Instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance recommends advance ground rules for documents, exhibits, screen sharing, and pre-marking exhibits for remote hearings.
Documents: Share any documents/exhibits that will be reviewed in advance. Use the share screen function while documents are being discussed during the hearing. Request that the documents are pre-marked for exhibit purposes.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance states that litigants, attorneys, and the public should be instructed not to record the hearing.
The court should instruct the litigants, attorneys, and the public to not record the hearing.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Sources
Identity source checked July 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 27, 2026.
Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster ↗Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗