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Judicial Votes Count
Carly Edelstein

Carly Edelstein

For Judge of the Tenth District Court of Appeals
Full Term Beginning 1/3/2023

*Top Vote-Getter in General Election

Candidate Q&A

Candidate Details

  • Residence
    Worthington
  • Email
    edelsteinforjudge@gmail.com
  • Website
    carlyforall.com
  • Social Media
    facebook.com/CarlyforJudge
    instagram.com/carlyforjudge
  • Age
    35
  • Occupation
    Supervising Attorney, Office of the Ohio Public Defender
  • Education

    University of California, Irvine School of Law, Irvine, CA
    J.D., magna cum laude
          · UC Irvine Law Review, Production Editor, Staff Editor
          · Orange County Human Rights Association, Chair, Advisory Board Member, Tutor
          · Black Law Students Alliance, Education Chair/Saturday Academy of Law Director
          · Select Awards: CA Bar Foundation Pub. Interest Scholarship, Most Cumulative Pro Bono Hours
     
    Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
    M.A., Education Policy and Administration
     
    Brown University, Providence, RI
    B.A., Public Policy and American Institutions
            · Brown University Human Rights Film Festival, Co-Founder
            · Brown University Hillel, Social Justice Coordinator
            · Kids Kitchen, Volunteer Coordinator
            · Select Awards:Public Service Prize, Undergratudate Teaching and Research Award

  • Work Experience

    Office of the Ohio Public Defender, Columbus, OH (2017-Present)
    Supervising Attorney and Staff Attorney, Appeals and Postconviction section 
          · Directly supervise attorneys, including reviewing work for content and accuracy.
          · Represent indigent clients on criminal matters in Ohio’s courts of appeals and supreme court.
          · Participate in racial justice and diversity-focused working groups.
          · Present trainings to agency staff and attorneys throughout Ohio.
          · Served on Governor DeWine's RecoveryOhio Criminal Justice Committee.
     
    Equitas Health, Columbus, OH (2016-2017)
    Legal Services Manager
          · Created and developed legal services department to assist Equitas Health patients.
          · Represented clients on matters involving Social Security Disability, employment discrimination, and housing.
          · Expanded and managed successful statewide legal clinics program to support the transgender and gender non-conforming community.
     
    U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Cleveland, OH (2014-2016)
    Staff Attorney
          · Investigated complaints of race, sex, and disability discrimination in K-12 schools and colleges and universities in Michigan and Ohio.
          · Mediated cases between families and schools to reach mutually agreeable resolutions.
     
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Detroit, MI (2013-2014)
    Law Clerk to the Honorable Eric L. Clay
          · The Sixth Circuit resolves cases arising in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
          · Read briefs, conducted legal research, observed oral arguments, and drafted legal opinions for publication.
          · Cases included criminal, federal habeas, civil rights, contract law disputes, Social Security Disability, and immigration.
     
    Teach for America, Jack H. Skirball Middle School, Watts, CA (2008-2010)
    Sixth Grade English and History Teacher
          · Served two years in teacher corps in underserved community.
          · Designed challenging sixth grade curriculum.
          · Established afterschool enrichment and remedial reading programs for students.
     

  • Family
    Married to my husband Ben Cooper (also an attorney here in Franklin County). We have two incredible daughters (1 ½ and 3 ½) and a German Shepard/Newfoundland/Saint Bernard mix.
  • Affiliations

    American Constitution Society, Columbus Lawyer Chapter, President, At-Large Member
     
    Columbus Bar Association, LGBT Committee Chair, Member 
     
    National Association for Public Defense, Member 

    Franklin County Democratic Party, Member 

    Franklin County Democratic Lawyers Club, Member

    Capital Law School Moot Court, Adjunct Professor (2020-2021)

    Ohio State Bar Association, Content Advisory Board Member (2017-2021)

    TransOhio and Equitas Health Name and Gender Change Clinic, Pro Bono Volunteer (2017-2020)

    Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, 3Rs: Rights, Responsibilities, Realities, Team Captain, Volunteer Attorney (2014-2015)

  • Endorsements

    In Alphabetical Order:

    AFSCME Council 8

    AFSCME Retiree Chapter 1184

    Baptist Ministerial Alliance of Columbus and Vicinity

    Central Ohio Labor Council AFL-CIO

    Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council

    Communications Workers of America Local 4502

    Franklin County Democratic Party

    Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund

    U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown

  • Bar Association Ratings

    Columbus Bar Association, 2022 Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)

Photo of Carly Edelstein Carly Edelstein

Question 1

List your judicial experience (courts and years)

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Law Clerk to the Honorable Eric L. Clay (2013-2014)

Question 2

What non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?

        I am a career appellate public defender at the Office of the Ohio Public Defender, where I fight for the rights of people who cannot afford an attorney. I supervise a team of appellate attorneys and carry my own caseload. I have litigated appellate cases in courts of appeals throughout the state and in the Ohio Supreme Court. I am the only Tenth District Court of Appeals candidate whose career has focused on appellate litigation on behalf of marginalized communities. My appellate public defender practice and my experience clerking for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals make me uniquely qualified to appreciate the gravity of this court’s decisions. Through all of this work, I have gained the skillset necessary to handle the day-to-day work of an appellate judge and give every case the thoughtfulness and respect it deserves.
 

Question 3

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

        I am running for this seat on the 10th District Court of Appeals because we need a diversity of perspectives and experience on the bench. I have been a teacher, a federal court of appeals clerk drafting opinions for publication, a civil rights attorney at the U.S. Department of Education, a legal services manager at Equitas Health running a statewide name and gender change clinic for the transgender and gender non-conforming community, and an appellate public defender representing people in the courts of appeals across the state and the Ohio Supreme Court. Through my many experiences in education, civil rights law, and public defense, I have seen where the system has worked and where justice has not been done. I am running for this seat because I fight every day for the underdog, working with clients who cannot afford an attorney in a system that requires quality representation. And I am driven to bring that perspective and that voice to the bench.

        If elected, I will make sure all people are treated with dignity and respect when they walk into the courtroom. Through my work across Ohio’s appellate districts, I have gained unique insight on ways Ohio’s courts best serve our communities and where there exists opportunity for improvement.  I hope to bring my experience and insight to the bench, where I can work to ensure justice is done in every case and all parties walk away from their involvement in the system feeling their voice was heard and they were given a fair chance.