Judge Mary Eileen Kilbane

Judge Mary Eileen Kilbane was first elected to the Eighth District Court of Appeals in 2004. Judge Kilbane graduated from John Carroll University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and received her Juris Doctor degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Prior to her election to the Eighth District, Judge Kilbane served as a Cleveland Municipal Court judge for nine years.

Judge Kilbane began her legal career as a law clerk in both the private and public sector before serving as an assistant Cuyahoga County public defender. For nearly a decade Judge Kilbane appeared in court, day in and day out, advocating on behalf of individuals; experience that was invaluable in her transition to the bench.

Judge Kilbane has served in a leadership role as the Administrative/Presiding Judge of the Eighth District, unanimously elected by her colleagues (2011 & 2019). Judge Kilbane has served as a visiting judge on the Supreme Court of Ohio, and as a committee member on the Ohio Supreme Court's Committee on Dispute Resolution as well as the Traffic Rules Commission.

Judge Kilbane is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Courts of Appeals Association. In addition to her work as a presenter for legal education, Judge Kilbane has demonstrated her strong commitment to our community by teaching and mentoring students as a longtime participant in the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's 3Rs program. She has served as the treasurer of the Ohio Municipal Judges Association. Judge Kilbane is an engaged member of our community, married and the mother of two daughters.