OFFICE ADDRESS
208 U.S. Courthouse
85 Marconi Boulevard
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone (614) 719-3370

BORN
Columbus, Ohio
July 28, 1944

EDUCATION
Ohio University, B.A. 1966;
The Ohio State University College of Law, J.D. 1969

EMPLOYMENT
Law Clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Joseph P. Kinneary, Southern District of Ohio, 1969-71

Appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge May 1, 1971

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Columbus Bar Association; Federal Bar Association; American Inns of Court

JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE
Magistrate Judge Abel has been on the bench for 30 years. Over that time, he has tried many cases, conducted thousands of pretrial conferences, ruled on discovery disputes in those cases, and issued numerous decisions resolving motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, and non-case dispositive motions. He has conducted hundreds of settlement conferences and final pretrial conferences.

Currently, the parties in more than 5% of the civil trial track cases assigned to Magistrate Judge Abel have consented under 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) to disposition of that case with him as trial judge.