This article is part of the Voters Guide produced in partnership with the League of Women Voters of the Akron Area.

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Jennifer Towell is running for a seat on the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
Jennifer Towell is running for a seat on the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.

Jennifer D. Towell

Non-partisan

Campaign Email: jennifertowellforjudge@gmail.com

Education: Bachelor of Science from Miami University of Ohio, cum laude; Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University College of Law where her academic honors included: Law Journal, Moot Court, Public Service Fellow, Judicial Externship as well as studying abroad at The University of Oxford-Ohio State University Comparative Law program.

Training / Experience: United States Navy, JAGC Lieutenant Navy Yard Navel Legal Services, Washington, D.C.; Applied Discovery, Division of LexisNexis, Director of E-Discovery Affairs; Brouse McDowell, Attorney; Akron Municipal Court, Magistrate 2019-2022 

Website: towellforjudge.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084177657587

List your judicial experience (courts and years)

Summit County Court of Common Pleas, 2022-2024

Akron Municipal Court, Magistrate, 2019-2022

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

As a criminal defense attorney in the Navy, I have a unique perspective that helps insure the rights of all parties are preserved. Working as a civil litigation attorney at Brouse McDowell and as an E-Discovery Director for LexisNexis, I have an extensive background in the complexities involved in civil litigation.

Serving as a Magistrate helped form my judicial temperament and also helped me learn how to manage an extensive docket. 

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I have served in this seat since December of 2022 and love the work. I have worked hard to train my staff and we strive to provide outstanding service to every individual who appears in our court. I want to continue to make progress on reducing the backload of cases and continue to serve in the position I love. It is an honor to serve the citizens of Summit County as a just and fair Judge. 

Joseph James Darwal

Non-partisan

Campaign Email: jdarwal@216lawyers.com

Editor’s note: This candidate did not respond to requests for information.

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.