Sharon L. Kennedy at a glance
- Current role
- Chief Justice
- Jurisdiction
- Ohio · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Sharon L. Kennedy
Chief Justice · Supreme Court of Ohio
Biography
Professional career
- The 11th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, elected in 2022 and serving since January 1, 2023, after a career that includes decades as a judge, attorney, and public servant in Ohio’s judicial system
- Judge, Ohio Supreme Court, 2012-present
- Kennedy became Chief Justice in November 2022, defeating Jennifer L. Brunner in the general election
- Butler County Court of Common Pleas (1999–2012): held the role of a judge in the Domestic Relations Division and as administrative judge from 2005 to 2012, improving case management and championing family law reforms
Education
- She graduated from Northwest High School (1980), obtained a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Cincinnati (1984), and a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law (1991)
Additional information
- Practitioner, 2011-2011
- Date of birth: 1962-01-01
- Kennedy is recognized for her work in family law reform, budget management in Butler County, and her leadership in the Ohio judicial system.
- Birth place: Hamilton County
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 August 22, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Supreme Court of Ohio official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 22, 2026
View Supreme Court of Ohio official judicial roster ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗