Melena Siebert is the 2024 Republican candidate for Judge of Ohio’s 12th District Court of Appeals after winning the primary election. “The general election will take place on November 5, 2024, and I am asking for your vote and support because I want to serve this District and its people through the application of the correct judicial philosophy.“

Conservative candidate who knows judicial philosophy matters! “As a judge, I would exercise judicial restraint and respect the separation of powers. I am a conservative, constitutional textualist and originalist. Judges should apply the Constitution and other laws as written without trying to advance their own preferred ideas about policy. In our representative republic, the people are ultimately responsible for policy questions through the election of their representatives. The late Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas are my judicial role models.”

Proven Conservative. “As a senior associate attorney for one of the foremost conservative law firms in the country, The Bopp Law Firm, PC, I have worked consistently to advance conservative, textualist, and originalist interpretations of the law. My practice involves constitutional and election law, and I have litigated cases involving freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to life. I support our Constitution, including the Second Amendment, which provides for an individual right to keep and bear arms. I have been a member of The Federalist Society since 2014, and I have served as the President of the student chapter at the University of Cincinnati College of Law and on the board of the Cincinnati Lawyers Chapter. Through those positions, I have worked to advance strong constitutionalist ideas about the law by providing programming for law students, attorneys, judges, and the public.”

Experienced Lawyer. “I am an experienced litigator who argues cases across the country, in both state and federal court. I have handled both trial and appellate level cases, handling appeals in multiple courts of appeals. I have co-authored briefs at The Supreme Court of the United States. Every day as a litigator, I advocate for a textualist, originalist approach to the law on behalf of my clients. Because of my practice as an attorney, I have developed a strong skill set in analyzing and interpreting both statutory and constitutional law. As an appellate judge, I will be asked to do the same – focusing largely on questions of whether a trial court decided questions of law correctly. It is critical that the people of the 12th District elect judges who have a strong, conservative judicial philosophy and who will respect and appreciate their proper role on the bench and the separation of powers fundamental to our system of government.

Life Story. “I grew up in a small town in Greene County, Ohio. I was raised by an exceptional mom and dad who showed me every day how important family was. My dad was a truck driver and my mom was a nurse. They instilled in me a strong work ethic. I was the first in my family to graduate from college, where I graduated summa cum laude. After college, I pursued a successful sales career. I’ve been married to my husband, Scott, for 31 years. Later, I decided to stay home with my two beautiful children – I had the privilege to do that for nearly 15 years. When the time was right for me to re-enter the workforce, I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and started law school at the age of 46, where I graduated in the top 10% of my class. All of these experiences contribute to my unique perspective on the law – I fundamentally understand business, family, and the law. This rich experience will serve the people of the 12th District well if you honor me with my election to the court of appeals.“

Faith. “I am a committed Christian, and I’m active at Center Pointe Christian Church, in Liberty Township, Ohio. My faith is foundational to my worldview. I believe God created the concept of authority, and we are blessed to live in a country where we have the opportunity to choose who represents us and our values the best. But this God-given concept of authority only truly works when it recognizes its proper role and its limitations. That’s one of the reasons I believe judicial philosophy matters so much – without the proper judicial philosophy, judges too often fail to recognize and respect what their proper role in our society is.”