Judge John R. Willamowski was chosen to serve again as the presiding judge of the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals in 2024 by judges Mark C. Miller, William R. Zimmerman, and Juergen A. Waldick, who will serve as administrative judge. Willamowski will preside over oral arguments, decide procedural motions, oversee the daily administration of the court, and be responsible for managing the appellate docket.

Willamowski was born in South Bend, Indiana, and attended college at the University of Notre Dame where he received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He then enrolled in the Claude W. Petit College of Law at Ohio Northern University, graduating in 1985.

After he was admitted to the Bar, he began practicing law in the Lima area and, with his wife, Mona, eventually started their firm. He became a state representative in the Ohio General Assembly in 1997 and was elected to serve a total of four additional terms.

In 2006, Willamowski was elected to the Court of Appeals of Ohio and is the longest currently serving judge in the Third District with 17 years of experience on the bench. During this time, he has sat by assignment on the Supreme Court of Ohio and served as a visiting judge in the Second, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Districts. He has filed to be a candidate in the 2024 election for a fourth term on the appellate bench.

Willamowski is an active member of the Allen County Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Judicial Conference, and the Lima Exchange Club. He has served three terms on the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct and is currently the chief justice elect of the Ohio Courts of Appeals Judges Association. Willamowski lives with his wife, Mona, in Lima. Together they have four children and 10 grandchildren.

The Third District Court of Appeals hears appeals from 17 counties in northwest Ohio. While the court is headquartered in Lima, the judges also travel to the county seats within the Third District to hear cases. The judges additionally hold court annually at Ohio Northern University to educate law students on the practices of appellate courts.

Submitted by the Third District Court of Appeals.