Login | July 23, 2026
Mahoning County Probate Court Judge Robert Rusu discusses goals as OAPJ president
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: July 23, 2026
Since taking the Mahoning County Probate Court bench in 2014, Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr. has been a member of the Ohio Association of Probate Judges (OAPJ).
Now he’s leading the organization as its president, after being officially elected last month during the OAPJ’s annual conference, which took place at the Sawmill Creek Resort in Huron.
“I am very excited to be president,” said Judge Rusu, who was sworn in on June 11 at the event by retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer.
The nonprofit organization is charged with the administration and improvement of the state’s probate court system.
As president, Judge Rusu will oversee the development and implementation of the statewide educational curriculum for the upcoming year for probate judges, magistrates, deputy clerks and court investigators.
He will also help steer key pieces of probate legislation through the Ohio General Assembly.
“My role as president will give me a say in the direction of probate law in the state of Ohio and provide me a chance to work with different probate judges around the state,” Judge Rusu said.
In addition to the presidency, Delaware County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge David Hejmanowski and Preble County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Jenifer Overmyer were elected as at-large members of the executive committee.
President-elect Medina County Probate and Juvenile Court Judge Kevin Dunn said Judge Rusu is a great choice to lead the group.
“I’ve known Judge Rusu for more than 10 years,” Judge Dunn said. “He’s a great resource, who is well versed in legislation that impacts the probate court. He’s energetic and very dynamic. He has been on the executive committee for a long time and has been a frequent speaker at a lot of our events.
“He is also a member of the Ohio Judicial College Board of Trustees, as am I,” Judge Dunn said.
“There are a lot of issues coming down the pike at the state and national levels and he has a good handle on them,” Judge Dunn said. “I know he will be an effective leader and I’m happy to be working alongside him.”
Born in Youngstown and raised in the city of Canfield, Judge Rusu graduated from Canfield High School.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Youngstown State University.
After graduating from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, Judge Rusu began his career in the law office of Joseph D. Lane.
The two later became partners, forming the law firm Lane & Rusu. The firm focused exclusively on estate planning, trust and probate law.
He was appointed to the Mahoning Probate Court by former Ohio Gov. John Kasich in July 2014 and won the general election later that year.
He and his wife Cheryl have four children and five grandchildren.
In addition to the OAPJ and the Ohio Judicial College, Judge Rusu is a former president of the Mahoning County Bar Association (MCBA).
He is a current member of the association’s probate/estate planning committee and its admissions committee.
He is currently on the board of Potential Development, a school that serves students with autism.
In addition, he is a former member of the boards of the Alzheimer’s Assistance and Referral Network and the Mahoning Valley Camp Fire Council and is a past president of the Canfield Baseball Club.
He is also a former member of the Canfield Athletic Boosters.
Judge Rusu plans to tackle a number of items during his term as OAPJ president, including developing a set of guidelines for guardianship transfers between county probate courts.
“We have been seeing an increasing number of these transfers, so I am forming a group that will assist in setting specific parameters for these transfers, so the courts are on the same page,” Judge Rusu said.
He also wants to create more uniformity in the sale of land by executors, administrators and guardians.
“The statutes are very technical and complicated, and many attorneys are not well versed in the rules and procedures,” Judge Rusu said.
“It is my goal to help create a set of standard probate forms that attorneys and pro se filers can utilize that will help them and the court expedite the sale process and complete the land sale,” he said.
Also on his to-do list, unveiling a new program to assist pro se filers with the preparation of estate paperwork.
“I plan to work with local law schools to create a help desk situation, whereby the students work under the tutelage of their professors to assist individuals in filing simple state administrations,” Judge Rusu said. “This will not only help Ohioans, but it will provide an opportunity for students to gain experience working with clients.”