Mary E. Donovan at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Court
- Ohio Court of Appeals
- Current assignment
- Ohio Court of Appeals
- Jurisdiction
- Ohio · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Mary E. Donovan
Judge · Ohio Court of Appeals
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Ohio Court of Appeals, 2005-present
- She also served in the City Law Department, City of Cincinnati Prosecutor’s Office (1989–1990) and practiced privately with Allbery, Cross, Fogarty and Tuss (1993–1995)
- Began her legal career in public defense, working at the Lake County Public Defender’s Office (1978–1979) and the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office (1979–1988, 1990–1993)
- Judge Donovan enjoys music, swimming, reading, and is an avid fan of Notre Dame football as well as Xavier University and University of Dayton basketball
Education
- University of Dayton School of Law in — J.D. (1977)
- University of Cincinnati in — B.A. (1973)
Additional information
- She was re-elected unopposed in 2010 and 2016 and chose not to run for re-election in 2023, concluding her appellate service on February 8, 2023.
- Served ten years on the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, General Division, before being elected to the Ohio Second District Court of Appeals in November 2004, officially assuming office on February 9, 2005.
- During her tenure, she contributed to the Ohio Jury Instructions Editorial Board and participated in various judicial associations
- She held the role of President of the Dayton Bar Association and the Dayton Volunteer Lawyer’s Project, and participated on committees such as the Public Service and Member Service Committee and the Eikenbary Trust Committee.
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 June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Ohio Court of Appeals current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Ohio Court of Appeals current judicial profile ↗Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗