Justice Terrence O'Donnell, Retired (The Supreme Court of Ohio) Of Counsel

Justice Terrence O’Donnell, retired from The Supreme Court of Ohio, joined the law firm of Brouse McDowell in an Of Counsel capacity, focusing on alternative dispute resolution and appellate matters.

Justice O’Donnell served on the Supreme Court of Ohio from 2003-2018, and is one of Ohio’s longest-serving justices. During his time on the Court, he led statewide efforts to promote integrity and professionalism in law, leading to the creation of a nationally recognized Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program. Justice O’Donnell also served on the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for 14 years and the Eighth District Court of Appeals for eight years. He previously practiced law at Marshman, Snyder & Corrigan in Cleveland.

A former school teacher, Justice O'Donnell was a founding member and past president of the Legal Eagles, a law fraternity for alumni of St. Edward High School in Lakewood. He also was a member of the Ohio State Bar Foundation Fellows Class of 2005, past member of the board of trustees of Magnificat High School, and the board of trustees of the Lawyers Guild of the Diocese of Cleveland.

Justice O’Donnell has dedicated significant time to non-profit causes. He served as Chairman of the Ohio Legal Rights Service Commission, an organization that advocates for the human, civil and legal rights of people with disabilities in Ohio, and as a member of the Board of Trustees of Our Lady of the Wayside, an organization dedicated to serving the needs of the mentally and physically challenged where his brother, John, lived for 10 years until he died in 2011.

Justice O’Donnell has received numerous accolades, including recognition as “Person of the Year” by the Mayo Society of Greater Cleveland in 2015, and as the recipient of the Jurisprudence Award from the American ORT Cleveland Chapter in 2006. Further, he received St. Edward High School’s Alumnus of the Year Award in 2005, Kent State University’s award for outstanding graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences, and Cleveland State University’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Justice O'Donnell resides in Rocky River with his wife, Mary Beth. The couple has four adult children—Terrence, Michael, Colleen, and Nora, and eight grandchildren, Terrence, Charlie, Claire, Emmett, Kevin, Molly, Maggie, and Andrew.