Kathleen Madden has announced her candidacy for Fourth District Court of Appeals Judge. Madden currently serves as Chief of Human Resources and Labor Counsel in the Office of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.
The Fourth District includes Pickaway, Ross, Pike, Scioto, Highland, Adams, Lawrence, Gallia, Meigs, Hocking, Jackson, Vinton, Athens and Washington counties.
“I have dedicated my professional career to serving the people of the State of Ohio,” Madden said. “Helping others resolve complex legal issues has been an immensely rewarding experience. As a member of the court, I will use what I’ve learned to serve the citizens of our region and rule with integrity and impartiality.”
Madden’s nearly 17 years of legal experience includes over a decade of leadership positions in state government, serving as Director of Community Schools in the Ohio Department of Education, Policy Administrator in the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, and Assistant Chief Legal Counsel in the Ohio Office of Budget and Management.
Madden was raised in the Mount Sterling area, the youngest of five daughters of Kelley and Charlotte Crites, retired area educators. She graduated from Otterbein University with honors, where she led student government committees and captained the varsity softball team. She then graduated from Capital University Law School, where she was on the Law Review and a member of the school's National Moot Court Team.
Upon graduation from law school, Madden became licensed in both Ohio and Kentucky, and was engaged in the private practice of law for several years in Ohio and Kentucky, focusing primarily on labor and employment matters and successfully representing clients in state and federal courts. Madden is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Kentucky Bar Association, was recently published in the Columbus Bar Lawyers Quarterly magazine, and frequently speaks on employment related topics.
Madden resides near Williamsport in rural Ross County. She and her husband Tom, also an attorney, are the proud parents of four young, energetic sons. The Maddens are active in their local church and in the Ross and Pickaway County communities through civic organizations and youth athletics, including the Scioto Valley Youth League in Chillicothe, youth soccer, baseball, and basketball in the Williamsport and Ashville areas, and through the Pickaway County Family YMCA.