Meet Pavan V. Parikh, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts
Pavan V. Parikh is the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts. He was appointed in December 2021 and elected in 2022 and 2024 with over 53% of the vote. Pavan’s focus is on increasing access to justice, improving customer service, modernizing the Clerk’s office, and ensuring that the Clerk’s staff reflects the diversity of Hamilton County.
A Cincinnati native, Pavan has dedicated his life to community service. After law school, he worked for Judge Nadine Allen on the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. Pavan then served as Chief Legal Counsel with the Ohio Senate Minority Caucus, monitoring and negotiating legislation on important issues like criminal justice reform, voting rights, constitutional law, and ethics.
In 2013, Pavan joined the US Army Reserve as a judge advocate and completed his service in March 2025, having attained the rank of major. As a military lawyer, Pavan served in a variety of roles at home and abroad including as a Special Victims Counsel representing victims of sexual assault.
His varied experience in law also includes teaching as an adjunct professor at University of Cincinnati College of Law and Xavier University, running his own law firm, working in-house as counsel for Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, and volunteering on various state and local boards including the Cincinnati Bar Association and the Ohio Ballot Board. Currently he co-chairs the America 250-Ohio Hamilton County Committee.
An award-winning leader and executive, Pavan has been asked to share his expertise on law, history, and public policy through various speaking engagements. He was the keynote speaker for the annual Taft Day breakfast at the William Howard Taft Historic Site in 2024 and the keynote speaker for the National Association for Government Recordskeeper and Archivists (NAGARA) annual convention in 2023. He speaks regularly on the need for better technology and innovation in the justice system at the annual MidwestCon and Cincinnati AI Week tech conferences. In summer of 2025, he presented to the National Association of Counties Committee on Justice and Public Safety about the value of collaboration through the innovative work of the Clerk of Courts Help Center. He has also presented several CLE classes on topics from election law to military operations, and routinely speaks to young people about pursuing careers in law and government.
Pavan graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy and minors in Natural Sciences and Economics and a M.A. in Theology from Xavier University. He received a law degree from the St. Louis University School of Law where he earned a Certificate in Health Law, a Certificate in International & Comparative Law, and a Concentration in Criminal Litigation.
Pavan is married to Dr. Shwetha Manoharan, a physician specializing in Obstetrics & Gynecology. They live in Anderson Township with their three young sons and their dog.