The Honorable Judge John Andrew West...Black History in the making



The Honorable Judge John A. West



Judge John Andrew West is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio.  He is married to Miriam E. West,(former Director of Mentoring for the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative), and is the father of Hamilton County Magistrate Melissa E. West.



Judge West received all of his formal education locally, graduating from Walnut Hills High School, The University of Cincinnati, and The Salmon P. Chase College of Law.

During the span of his professional career, Judge West has held a wide variety of positions.  He taught History at Roberts Junior High School; served as Program Coordinator for the Citizens Committee on Youth; worked as a Purchasing Agent for the Large Jet Engine Division of the General Electric Company; served as a Staff Attorney for the Model Cities Law Office; and practiced law for twenty four (24) years before being appointed to the Bench of the Hamilton County Municipal Court in 1996.  Five years later in February of 2001, Judge West joined the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court General Division.

Judge West is a former member of the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees for the Cincinnati Bar Association, as well as a former of the Ohio Common Pleas Judges Association.  Judge West is also the Co-Chair of the BLAC-CBA Roundtable, an organization dedicated to increasing the presence of African-Americans in the mainstream Cincinnati legal community and is a founding membr of the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati (BLAC). In addition to being affiliated with local organizations, Judge West has also served as a Board Member of the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Arts Association, the National Conference of Community and Justice, the Melrose Street YMCA, and is a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Psi and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities.

Judge West has received numerous awards for his community involvement and service to the legal profession.  Among the many awards are: Profiles in Courage, Men of Style and Substance, University of Cincinnati College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award and the Theodore M. Berry Award from the Cincinnati Branch NAACP.

Judge West is also a former member of the Civil Service Commission for the City of Cincinnati and currently serves on advisory boards for the Salmon P. Chase College of Law and for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Cincinnati.

Judge West has dedicated his life to helping others succeed, and in 1997 he was recognized as the "Best Judge" on the Hamilton County Municipal Court bench by Cincinnati Magazine.

This site proudly honors Judge John Andrew West for his contributions not only to the judicial system but to the community at large.