The concept of a Clerk of Court dates back to the medieval cleric. Clerics were responsible for issuing writs and other correspondence ordered by the court. In Ohio, the Clerk of Courts became a part of the state constitution in 1802 when the judicial system was put in place. In 1851 the Ohio Constitution called for a three-year elected term and was extended to four years in 1936.

The Clerk of Courts has many different responsibilities. There are more than 310 sections of the Ohio Revised Code dealing with duties of the County Clerk of Court. The Clerk administers all titled vehicles in the county through the TITLE DIVISION. In 1999, Ohio's 88 counties processed and certified 5.3 million titles. They also collected and disbursed more than $48 million in title fees and $875 million in tax dollars for the state of Ohio.

The Clerk of Courts administers the Legal Department and Title Department and serves as the clerk for the 4th Appellate District Court of Appeals for Washington County. The Clerk is described as being the "keeper of the records" of the County Common Pleas Court and the Court of Appeals. The Clerk records all the paperwork filed through the court, keeps the records on civil, domestic and felony criminal cases and collects money for court costs. Clerks have the authority to administer oaths, take and certify affidavits. Clerks also execute notary public applications and serve as passport agents for the federal government.

Brenda L Wolfe, Clerk of Courts boasts a 30 year career of service to the public working in the Clerk of Courts Office. Brenda began her career inthe title office in 1979 and spent the next 30 years performing all the aspects of the Clerk of Courts office. Working for three previous Clerks Brenda started at entry level and worked to Chief Deputy Clerk of the legal division in 1996, a position she held until being elected Clerk of Courts in 2009.