Training facilitated by Common Cause Ohio and Ohio Voice

Eager to learn more about Ohio’s court system, how judges are selected, and how you can take action to ensure our courts are fair and impartial? The Ohio Fair Courts Alliance is a nonpartisan engagement project designed to educate Ohioans about challenges and opportunities facing the justice system. In this training, you’ll learn how Ohio’s court system impacts us—from voting rights, gerrymandering, the environment, and education to bail reform, healthcare, and immigration—and what citizens, like you, can do to improve it.

We are recruiting legal and non-legal volunteers with varying levels of familiarity with the courts and training them to lead presentations and discussions with groups. Speakers may team up to give presentations. Upon training completion, speakers will be dispatched to give Courts 101 presentations to community gatherings. Intended audiences include: pastors and church groups, high school social studies classes, affinity and minority groups, as well as civic groups throughout the state.

• The overall structure of the courts
• The difference between state and federal courts
• Pros and cons of electing judges
• Resources for learning more about judicial candidates
• Why we need fair and impartial courts
• Challenges and opportunities facing our courts

• Training Part I (2.5 hrs) - Learn the Fair Courts Curriculum
• Training Part II (2 hrs) - Curriculum review and presentation practice
• Minimum of one speaking engagement per year