Judge Joan Synenberg has served on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas bench for nine years. She served as a Cleveland Municipal Court Judge for two years prior. In addition to her civil and criminal docket, Judge Synenberg presides over Recovery Court, a specialized docket supervising people with drug addiction and trauma. This dual-diagnosis docket is the first of its kind in the State of Ohio and is certified by the Ohio Supreme Court. Under Judge Synenberg’s leadership, hundreds of lawyers have participated in complimentary continuing legal education courses in exchange for donating their legal services to persons in need. Judge Synenberg spearheaded numerous pro bono initiatives, including active involvement in expungement education, conducting dozens of community forums on the topic since 2005. Before assuming the bench, Judge Synenberg engaged in an active criminal and civil trial practice for 16 years. In 2009, she was honored with the Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association Outstanding Alumna Award. Raised in Cleveland, Judge Synenberg is a graduate of Mayfield High School and in 2010 was inducted into their Hall of Fame. She and her husband Roger live in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood.