INDIANAPOLIS — The United States District Court, Bankruptcy Court, and Probation Office for the Southern District of Indiana and the Indianapolis Bar Association’s Women & the Law Division will celebrate Women’s History Month with a special event on Wednesday, March 12 at 3:00 p.m. The hour-long program will be held in Courtroom 202 at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse, 46 East Ohio Street, Indianapolis.
In a question-and-answer format, District Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson will interview Chief Justice (retired) Maureen O’Connor from the State of Ohio. Chief Justice O’Connor will share her insights on the consequences of partisan elections for state Supreme Court Justices, as well as the role of the judicial branch in combatting the opioid epidemic, substance abuse, and mental health disorders, and in addressing bail reform. Chief Justice O’Connor’s post-retirement activities involving redistricting and Ohio’s ballot initiative provisions will also be discussed.
Attendees are invited to enjoy a reception following the event. A virtual option is available for those who cannot attend in person.
Maureen O’Connor was the tenth chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio and the first woman to lead the state judicial branch of government and is presently a Charles F. Kettering Foundation senior fellow. O’Connor first joined the Ohio Supreme Court in 2003, becoming the 148th justice and giving the court its first-ever female majority. Upon her retirement from the court, O’Connor became the longest-serving statewide elected woman in Ohio history.
The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Please register at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/womenshistory2025 to reserve a space and indicate whether you will attend in person or virtually. Those attending virtually will receive the link upon registration, and again the day before the program with instructions on how to connect via Zoom.