Howland native attorney Shibani Sheth-Massacci has been named court administrator of the 11th District Court of Appeals where she will manage the administrative staff and oversee the day-to-day operation of the court while maintaining her current duties as the court's mediator and civil magistrate.
Presiding Judge Mary Jane Trapp said Sheth-Massacci was selected based on her dual degrees in law and business, her years of experience at the court as a judicial attorney, magistrate and mediator and her experience as a manager in supervising work performed by others on the administrative staff.
Sheth-Massacci is a 1993 graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor's degree in finance. She received her juris doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law in 1996. Before beginning her service with the court of appeals in 1999 as judicial attorney for Judge Donald R. Ford, she worked in private practice for three years with Blair and Latell.
In 2005, Sheth-Massacci was instrumental in the development of the court's appellate mediation program. Sheth-Massacci attempted mediation with 38 percent of new civil cases and has achieved a 72 percent success rate.
''I genuinely care for the future of this court and want to ensure that it continues to maintain a positive reputation in the legal community,'' she said.