Judge Sean C. Gallagher

Judge Sean C. Gallagher is the youngest son of John F. Gallagher of Achillbeg Island, County Mayo, Ireland, and Margaret T. Gallagher (nee Casey) of Tuosist, County Kerry Ireland.

Sean attended Sts. Phillip and James Grade School in Cleveland. He is a graduate of (Lakewood) St. Edward High School and received his B.A. degree from Ohio University. He earned his J.D. from Cleveland Marshall College of Law.

Judge Gallagher was elected to the Ohio Court of Appeals on November 5, 2002. Prior to his election he served as a judge in the Cleveland Municipal Court from 1997 to 2002. Judge Gallagher was a felony prosecutor in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office from 1991-1997. He served three years in the specialized “while collar” Economic Crime Unit of that office. He served four years as a Probation Officer in Cuyahoga County and was Common Pleas Court Bailiff for six years to Donald C. Nugent, now a Federal Judge on senior status in the Northern District of Ohio.

Judge Gallagher was named “Legal Eagle - Man of the Year” for St. Edward High School in 2005. He received the “President’s Award” for service with the former Cuyahoga County Bar Association in 2006. He was named the Outstanding Alumnus for Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2007 and was named to the CSU Law Hall of Fame in 2022. In 2014 he was honored as one of the ‘Irish Legal 100’ by the Irish Ambassador to the United States at the Irish Embassy in Washington D. C.

In addition to Ohio, Judge Gallagher is a member of the bar in Arizona. He holds dual citizenship in both the United States and the Republic of Ireland.