Overview
Judge Peter M. Handwork became a court of appeals judge January 1, 1983 after serving as a Lucas County Common Pleas judge (1977-1983). He obtained his BA degree from Lake Forest College in 1963, studied law at the University of Toledo and was awarded a JD in 1966.

He was engaged in the general practice of law with Watkins, Bates & Handwork, and Eastman, Stichter, Smith & Bergman after his admission to the bar, and he also served as an assistant US attorney.

Judge Handwork held the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor in the College of Health and Human Services at the University of Toledo where he taught for 26 years in the Department of Undergraduate Legal Specialties.

He coached the University's inter-collegiate mock-trial team for 19 years. Judge Handwork and his wife Claudia are the parents of six children and have 12 grandchildren.