Certification Procedures and Information

The Ohio Supreme Court has adopted rule amendments that outline the procedures to receive Supreme Court certification for a specialized docket program. Under the certification amendments, courts operating specialized dockets are required to submit an application, undergo a site visit, and submit specific program materials to the Specialized Docket Section as part of the certification process. While the standards seek to create a minimum level of uniform practices for specialized dockets, they still allow local specialized dockets to innovate and tailor their specialized docket to respond to local needs and resources. Specialized docket programs are required to be initially certified by Jan. 1, 2014. The amendments also created a Commission on Specialized Dockets and amend the definition of a specialized docket in the Code of Judicial Conduct. The commission will be the body that applies the certification requirements and determines which programs are certified.

Certification is granted when the written materials submitted by each specialized docket and observations made during the site review demonstrate compliance with the certification standards. Topics that are not expressly set forth in the certification standards are not evaluated.

Please contact sarah.jeu@sc.ohio.gov to request a link to a certification/re-certification application.