Judge Renee M. DiSalvo

Bio

The Honorable Renee M. DiSalvo is a lifelong resident of the Mahoning Valley. Judge graduated Summa Cum Laude from YSU and then obtained her Juris Doctorate at Akron University School of Law while working and raising a child on her own. Prior to taking the bench she practiced as a trial attorney working for firms and owning her own practice for 22 years. She also held the positions of Common Pleas Mediator, Assistant Prosecutor in the City of Youngstown and Adjunct Instructor at both Youngstown and Kent State Universities.

Judge DiSalvo was appointed to the bench in November 2018 and elected in 2019 to serve the term beginning January 1, 2020. Upon taking the bench she enlarged and the Suspended License Intervention Program (SLIP Court) and developed a similar community outreach program “The Steering Clear Clinic”. The Clinic assists individuals in obtaining valid driver’s license and connecting them with area agencies to help with sealing of criminal records; obtaining training, schooling and employment as well as other needed assistance.

Judge DiSalvo has developed this area’s first Ohio Supreme Court Specialized Docket for Victims of Human Trafficking aptly named GRACE (Growth Restored through Acceptance, Change, and Empowerment). As one of the area’s leading advocates against human trafficking she participates as a speaker and trainer on the issue.

In an effort to combat the area’s mental health challenges Judge DiSalvo is developing a misdemeanor mental health court, slated to begin by September of 2026. In that same vein, she is currently working with local and state officials and agencies on a county wide mental health initiative.

Leadership, Professional and Community Involvement:

• Executive Board of The Bair Foundation
• Board of Junior Achievement of Eastern Ohio
• American Judges Association
• Association of Municipal and County Court, member and serving as Co-Chair of the Judicial Administration and Practice Committee
• Ohio Judicial Conference serving as a member on the Traffic Law and Procedure, Innovative Specialty Courts, Public Confidence and Community Outreach and Ethics Committees
• Ohio State Bar Association member and serving on Access to Justice Committee
• Mahoning County Bar Associations where she serves on Access to Justice and Lawyers Assistance committees
• Attorney General’s Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Health
• Attorney General’s Task Force on Competency Restoration and Probate
• Martin Luther King Criminal Justice Task Force
• Greater Youngstown League of Woman Voters

Awards and Honors:

• Americans for Prosperity Community Achievement Award for Criminal Justice
• Woodrow Wilson Hall of Fame Inductee
• Athena Award Nominee
• YSU Women on the Move Award
• Rotary Foundation Paul Harris Fellow Award

Judge DiSalvo is married to Michael Ramun, and they have a blended family of 2 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, and 6 grandchildren.