Judge Michelle J. Sheehan

Judge Michelle Sheehan has served on the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals since 2019.

Prior to being elected to the court of appeals, Judge Sheehan was a shareholder at a large litigation firm.  She litigated cases in both state and federal courts on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants for over 25 years.  While in private practice, she was certified as an appellate specialist by the Ohio State Bar Association.  She has represented clients in appellate matters before the Ohio Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and almost every appellate district in the State of Ohio.

Judge Sheehan serves on the Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial Conference New Appellate Judge Orientation Committee, co-chairs the Ohio Judicial Conference Appellate Law and Procedure Committee and is President of the Judicial Conference of the Eighth Judicial District.

She has served in various leadership roles within the community.  She is a former President of the Ohio Women’s Bar Association and has held various leadership roles in local organizations including the CMBA, YWCA, Cleveland State University College of Law, and Rocky River Civil Service Commission, amongst others.

Judge Sheehan received her bachelor’s degree from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and her Juris Doctor degree from Cleveland State University College of Law, where she met her husband, the Honorable Brendan J. Sheehan.  She is also a member of the Florida Bar.

Judge Sheehan typically offers unpaid internship or externship opportunities to students interested in a legal career. Please note the internship and externship program will not be offered in 2026. However, shadow experiences are available. If interested in a shadow experience to observe and attend oral argument, please contact Elizabeth Maloney at elm@8thappeals.com.