Christen Finley at a glance
- Current role
- Common Pleas Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Ohio · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Christen Finley
Common Pleas Judge · Lawrence Co. Common Pleas Court
Biography
Professional career
- The first female judge elected to the Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas General Division, serving since 2018, and is known for her work in community corrections, the Re‐Entry Court, and expanding court services
- In 2018, Judge Finley was chosen as the first woman judge in the Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas General Division
- Judge Finley is a native of Burlington, Ohio, graduating from Chesapeake High School in 1999
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration (Economics) from Marshall University in 2002, followed by her Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School in 2005.
Additional information
- Before joining the bench, she practiced law in southern Ohio and became a certified court mediator and guardian ad litem
- She also serves on the Ohio Judicial Conference’s Community Corrections Committee, is a member of the Ohio Judicial College Board of Trustees, and participates in various subcommittees through the Ohio Judicial Conference, Common Pleas Judges Association, and the Supreme Court of Ohio
- Judge Finley is active in local and statewide judicial organizations, including the Lawrence County and Ohio State Bar Associations.
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 ↗