Paul E. Pfeifer, Justice
Jan. 2, 1993 - present

Paul Pfeifer grew up on his family's dairy farm near Bucyrus. He still resides just down the road. As a teenager, he raised pure-bred Yorkshire hogs to finance his college education. Those years taught him the value of hard work, determination and clean overalls.

Justice Pfeifer's first job after graduating from Ohio State's law school was as an assistant attorney general trying eminent domain cases associated with the building of Ohio's highway system. Traveling the state gave him an appreciation for Ohio's county courthouses, architectural jewels that are the crossroads of life in our towns and cities. He always tries to keep in mind how the Supreme Court's decisions might affect the people seeking justice in county courthouses every day.

In 1972, he became a partner in the law firm of Cory, Brown & Pfeifer, where he practiced, primarily as a trial and tax lawyer, for 20 years. He also served several years as an assistant county prosecutor.

Justice Pfeifer has served in both houses of the Ohio General Assembly, one term in the House of Representatives and four terms in the Senate. He held a variety of leadership posts in the Senate, and served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 10 years. His proudest legislative accomplishment was crafting the legislation that created the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority.

Justice Pfeifer was first elected to the Supreme Court in 1992. For him, the most inspiring thing about the Court is that every voice gets heard — from the widow fighting for her husband's workers' compensation benefits, to corporations battling over tens of millions of dollars.

He began his third Supreme Court term in January 2005. His first boss, William Saxbe, administered the oath of office. At Justice Pfeifer's side was his wife, Julie — they first met when their steers were tied across from each other at the Crawford County Fair “more years ago than it would be polite to mention.” Together they have two daughters, Lisa and Beth, a son, Kurt, and four granddaughters.

Justice Pfeifer believes he does his best legal work while doing chores on his farm, where he raises Black Angus cattle. He says that there is a clarity to life in the country. There is no pomp and circumstance — just the green fields of Crawford County, a gaggle of grandkids that call him “Papa” and a herd of Angus that know him as the guy with the hay.