Meet Joe.
Joe Burke is a lifelong resident of the West Shore community. Born and raised in Bay Village, he attended St. Raphael School and St. Ignatius High School. Leaving only to pursue higher education, post college Joe returned to the West Shore to raise a family.
Joe and his wife of 15 years, Michelle are raising their three daughters and three dogs in Rocky River. They are parishioners of St. Raphael’s Church in Bay Village. The Burkes are avid boaters and love and cherish time spent on Lake Erie.
We can count on Joe because he is one of us.
Committed to the West Shore, Committed to Service
Joe served as Magistrate in the Rocky River Municipal Court for five years. In that time he:
- Adjudicated over 700 cases
- Was responsible for twice-weekly arraignments
- Managed two dockets for sentencing and diversion hearings
In addition, Joe has served the West Shore as:
- Vice President of the West Shore Bar Association
- Legal Advisor for the Rocky River High School Mock Trial Team
- Chairman of the City of North Olmsted’s Board of Zoning Appeals
Held in high regard by those who know him personally and professionally, Joe is an experienced leader we can trust for a safer and more fair West Shore.
Qualified and Ready to Serve
An Academic All American, Joe received his B.A. from Denison University; J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law; and M.B.A. from Cleveland State University. He has served judicial clerkships with the Supreme Court of Hawaii, the Eighth District Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court in Cleveland, Ohio. He has practiced for over thirty-one years, concentrating in business litigation, real estate, personal injury, criminal defense and commercial transactions.
Joe has successfully argued three cases in the Ohio Supreme Court: (1) State v. Codeluppi 139 Ohio St. 3d 165 (2013) involving standards for criminal motions to suppress; (2) State v. Kona 148 Ohio St. 3d 536 (2014) involving non-citizen advisements in pre-trial diversion programs; and (3) Beverage Holdings v. Valentino VAL, LLC 159 Ohio St. 3d 194 (2019) involving contract construction in commercial real estate contracts.