Welcome Home, Jonathan Herr

“A few years back I was very lucky to live in Oberlin, work for the city, and the Oberlin Municipal Court, so for me, being back is like coming home,” says Herr, who has lived in Bloomington, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado; and most recently, Indianapolis. 

Before joining the college, Herr served as a case administrator and backup courtroom deputy to the chief judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis. He also served as a deputy clerk of court and in other roles for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the Supreme Court of Ohio, the State of Colorado 8th Judicial District, and the Oberlin Municipal Court.

The road to Herr’s career started “quite by chance.” He had studied music and desired to teach at the college level. However, with so few jobs being available, he decided to forego pursuing a doctorate. A temporary job in legal paraprofessional roles opened the door to a nearly 20-year profession with municipal, state and federal courts, attorneys’ offices, and for a number of judges.  

Now that he’s back home in Oberlin, Herr has rediscovered many of his favorite places. 

“Oberlin has a wealth of fantastic businesses that I enjoy, but I also love treasures like the windmill just north of the city, Athena Tacha's Streams sculpture next to the municipal building, and of course, Tappan Square,” he says.

FAVORITE QUOTE: Sometimes it's the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine, by Alan Turing.