Hon. Ray Headen L’87

Judge Ray Headen brings a unique personal experience to the Court of Appeals. Headen grew up in the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland when segregated Glenville was a hub of black excellence, full of teachers, doctors, and notable politicians. From his parents and neighbors, Ray learned the value of hard work, initiative, and education. Ray traveled an hour and a half each way every day to attend the prestigious University School starting in seventh grade, after graduating from Miles Standish, a major work school in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. As a young man, Ray met Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and connected with Virgil Brown, the former city councilman and first African American to win a countywide office, sparking Headen’s lifelong interest in public service. Headen continued his education at Williams College and the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Law School. He returned to Cleveland after law school, earned admission to the Ohio Bar and served as an attorney in private practice and as General Counsel to the Ohio Treasurer of State. Headen has remained involved with University School, sitting on its board of trustees, and chairing its diversity and community engagement committee. Ray is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the Norman S. Minor Bar Association (African American Bar Association) and the Ohio Judicial Conference. Judge Headen is a member of the Thought Leadership Committee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Ray served as a keynote speaker at the 2019 Annual Greater Cleveland Bench-Bar Memorial Program. He is a member of the Education Committee of the 8th District Court of Appeals. Judge Headen was recently honored in a nationwide selection process to attend the NYU Appellate Judges Program for 2020. Ray has served on the Metropolitan Strategy Group on fair housing, Urban League of Greater Cleveland, Norman S. Minor Bar Association, Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators, Regional Competitiveness and Cooperation Task Force, National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council Chair and General Counsel of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers. Ray hosts a bi-weekly radio program on 1490 WERE on the first and third Mondays of each month at 5:30 p.m. called “Real Justice with Judge Ray Headen” where Ray and his invited courthouse leader guests educate Cuyahoga County citizens on their rights, the courts, and the law. Ray was asked to run for the bench by the chair of the Cuyahoga Republican Party. He brings to the bench thirty-plus years of experience as one of the State of Ohio’s leading bond counsels. His passion on the bench is to use his experience as a leading economic development attorney to build public confidence in the rule of law and in the community re-entry of ex-felons. Ray and his wife Miesha and their two sons live in Richmond Heights