Judge Michael John Ryan is a 1989 graduate of Cleveland Heights High School. He is also a product of Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). Judge Ryan has been serving as a judicial officer for more than 20 years: four and half years as a Magistrate for Cleveland Municipal Court, seven years as an elected Judge for Cleveland Municipal Court, 10 years as an elected Judge for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division, and now as a judge on Ohio’s Eighth District Court of Appeals. He graduated from Allegheny College in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in English then subsequently received his Juris Doctorate in 1996 from Cleveland State University College of Law. Judge Ryan has volunteered as a facilitator with Teen Domestic Violence Workshops, judge and coach for CMSD Mock Trial Competitions, instructor for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s 3 R’s Programs, tutor and mentor for CMSD students, member of Cleveland Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee, baseball and basketball youth coach, and countless other initiatives. Judge Ryan serves as a trustee with St. Edward High School, Step Forward, and was recently the chairman of Sisters of Charity Foundation. He has received several awards for his service and his professional contributions: Allegheny College Gold Citation, Omega Psi Phi Citizen and Civic Leader of the Year, National Association of Social Workers Elected Official of the Year, Cleveland State Alumni Association Resiliency Award Recipient and more. Judge Ryan is married, has two children, is a Deacon and Trustee for the Pentecostal Church of Christ and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.