Ohio Guardian ad Litem Education Program
Rule 48 of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio (Sup.R. 48) governs guardians ad litem in Ohio. New GALs shall complete 12 hours of education provided by the Supreme Court, Ohio CASA, or with the court’s approval, another provider. If you opt to get your education from the Supreme Court, you should begin with a six hour GAL Pre-Service course. You may select from any of our online or live webinar GAL courses to obtain the remaining six hours. To satisfy your continuing education requirement through the Judicial College, you shall complete six hours of continuing education each year: three hours via live webinar or in-person course, the remaining three hours via live webinar, in-person course, or online. Contact your appointing court for inquiries regarding application and compliance requirements.
IMPORTANT: While the Judicial College sponsors and delivers guardian ad litem education, local courts determine compliance under Rule 48. Please contact the court(s) in which you serve to inquire about local practices as well as interpretation or application of Rule 48.
- Ohio Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is an approved education provider under Rule 48. It offers a variety of continuing education courses, the annual Celebrate Kids! Conference, and a variety of local programs and events.
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