Judge McLaughlin's Story
Judge McLaughlin’s dedication to service extends well beyond the courtroom. For more than five decades, she has been an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary—the nation’s largest women’s veterans’ service organization—and is the third generation in her family to serve in this role.
Before joining the bench, she practiced law for 23 years in both state and federal courts and served as a guardian ad litem, advocating for children and ensuring their voices were heard in legal proceedings. In 2010, she became a magistrate in the Summit County Domestic Relations Court, later serving as Chief Magistrate. She was elected to an unexpired term in 2018, re-elected in 2020, and served as Presiding Judge in 2020.
A Mogadore native and graduate of Mogadore High School, Judge McLaughlin earned both her undergraduate and law degrees from The Ohio State University, working her way through school as a hotel housekeeper. After completing her legal education, she returned to Summit County, where she has lived ever since.
Judge McLaughlin is a graduate of the Child and Family Leadership Exchange and serves on the boards of Child Guidance & Family Solutions, Community Action of Akron/Summit County (as Board Chair), and the Child and Family Leadership Exchange. She has been an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary for more than 50 years and serves each summer as Deputy Director of the Judicial Branch for Buckeye Girls State, a civic education program for rising high-school seniors. She also volunteers with community and charitable organizations throughout Akron and Summit County, including a local food bank, and is a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church.