Questionnaire Responses
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OHIO SUPREME COURT, UNEXPIRED TERM, ENDING 12/31/2026
Candidate Name as it appears on the ballot:
Occupation:
Website (if applicable):
Education:
Work Experience:
Judicial Experience (courts and years):
What non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Why are you running for this particular court seat?
Judge
Lisa Forbes
Cornell University, 1981 to 1985, B.S. (recipient of a Regents Scholarship all 4 years; recipient of Cornell Tradition scholarship junior year);
Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 1989 to 1992, J.D. summa cum laude (recipient of Fink scholarship (half tuition all three years); Order of the Coif; Member, law review; Executive Notes Editor, law review; note selected for publication).
Legislative Correspondent; Legislative Aide,Offi ce of the Honorable Joe Kolter, United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C.;
Field Organizer, Bruce Babbitt for President, Concord, NH;
Director of Field Operations, Jim Donchess for Congress, Nashua, NH;
Legislative Aide, Office of the Honorable Nita Lowey, United States House of Representatives, Washington, DC
Judicial Law Clerk, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Chambers of the Honorable Frank J. Battisti;
Associate (Litigation); Squire, Sanders & Demsey LLP (nka SquirePattonBoggs), Cleveland, OH;
Associate (Litigation): 8/1997 to 12/2002, Partner (Litigation): 1/2003 to present, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, Cleveland, OH
12/2020 to present; Judge, Eighth District Court of Appeals
Eighth District Court of Appeals, December 14, 2020 to present.
As a judge on the court of appeals, I hear direct appeals of matters originally decided in a trial court. Three judges who have been randomly assigned sit on each panel. In preparation for oral arguments, I read and analyze the briefs submitted by the parties, along with the legal authority (case law, statutes, ordinances, regulations) governing the matter. I also analyze the evidence that was before the trial court. After oral arguments, I confer with the other panel members to decide the matter. If the parties waive oral argument, we confer on the date the oral argument would have been heard. Then, I set about to prepare an opinion or to review opinions drafted by another panel member. Where we are unable to reach concensus on either the analysis or the outcome, I draft a concurring in judgment only opinion or dissent, as appropriate. In addition, my court regularly reviews requests for en banc consideration, as well as original actions, such as writs of mandamus, procedendo and prohibition.
I had the honor of sitting by assignment on the Ohio Supreme Court when one of the justices needed to recuse from a case.
The depth and breadth of my knowledge of the law, coupled with my understanding of the impact legal decisions have on clients, provides the right mix of experience to interpret and apply the law fairly and justly as a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court.
For 27 years I practiced law in trial and appeals courts all over Ohio, helping clients resolve disputes ranging from complex business litigation to consumer class actions to legal malpractice claims to trust and estate disputes, and more. I have represented clients in legal disputes ranging from a complex business dispute involving a $40 million indemnification claim to helping a daughter and her stepmother divide the father’s assets (and ashes) after he died. Representing individuals and businesses in a wide variety of disputes gave me deep understanding of substantive and procedural law.
I saw first hand the impact legal decisions have on parties. The first appeal I argued resulted in reversal of the trial court and entry of judgment in my client’s favor. After years of litigating and a devastating jury verdict, my client was in dire straits because the trial court had not applied the law correctly. The court of appeals fixed the mistake and changed my cleint’s life. I saw firsthand the importance of the court of appeals.
While in private practice, I dedicated myself to learning the intricacies of the law and understanding the impact the law has on our communities. I regularly wrote and spoke on developments in the law.
I am running for the Ohio Supreme Court because I want to do my part to ensure that the Ohio Supreme Court is an effective firewall protecting our democracy and the rule of law. I have the expertise in the law, experience in our community, and work ethic to bring the intellectual rigor and common sense to the Court, so that our laws are applied fairly and equitably.
Ohio needs a new justice who will stand up for all Ohioans and stand firm against political pressure. My respect for and knowledge of the intricacies of the law would enhance the work of the court.
When I ran for the Court of Appeals four years ago, I believed the greatest issue courts faced was the erosion of respect for the institution. That concern has only grown in the time I have been on the bench. In particular, partisanship has come to be accepted to explain the outcome of any particular case – not justice, not fair application of the law, not reasoned analysis.
If elected to the Ohio Supreme Court, I will commit myself to the fair and just application of the law without regard to any agenda. That includes how I will assess which cases the Court should take in for consideration, as well as how I will draft substantive opinions.
Daniel R. Hawkins
Judge, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University; J.D. from The Ohio State University College of Law
2001-2013: Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and Director of the Special Victims Unit for the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office;
2013-2019: Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court Environmental Division;
2019-present: Judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division
Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court Environmental Division (2013-2019);
Judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division (2019-present)
I spent over a decade as a prosecutor in the largest county in Ohio, personally conducting over 100 jury trials over the course of my career. As Director of the Special Victims Unit for the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, I oversaw and managed the prosecution of hundreds of crimes of violence against women and children, including sexual assaults, domestic and sexual homicides, child homicides, human traffi cking, and internet child exploitation. My duties included overseeing a staff of seven assistant prosecutors and providing training to law enforcement, medical professionals, and attorneys across the state of Ohio.
I am running because I love this state and I want my children to grow up in an Ohio that is safe and prosperous. I believe in public service, and I would be honored to take my 20-plus years of legal and judicial experience to our state’s highest court.