Christine Vacha ’05

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor

By Caitlin MacBride Berg ’10, Director of Alumnae Relations

When Christine Vacha ’05 steps into a courtroom, she brings the same determination and focus that once drove her on the soccer field. Now an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, Vacha has built a career around one simple motto she shares with her office: Do the right thing, and do your job well.

Vacha’s path to prosecution began long before law school. Being adopted sparked her interest in family law at a young age. At The University of Akron, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science and played Division I soccer, her interests shifted toward sports law.

While studying at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Vacha’s direction changed again. A mock negotiation class and a series of summer internships helped her discover what she didn’t want to do, and ultimately, what she did. One of those summers, she was a law clerk for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, where she watched high-profile cases including the trial of Cleveland serial killer Anthony Sowell. She liked that the environment was fast-paced with many moving parts.

After earning her JD and passing the bar in 2012, Vacha joined the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office under Tim McGinty. She began in juvenile court and steadily advanced through the general felony unit and into the child victim unit of the major trial unit. Now she is in the homicide unit.

“Being a trial attorney is a skill,” she said. “You have to know how to read people, pivot quickly, and manage your time. Every day is different.”

At the same time her legal career was taking off, Vacha was giving back to the sport that shaped her. A former teammate invited her to coach soccer at North Olmsted High School while she awaited her bar results. That temporary job turned into a decade-long commitment: six years at North Olmsted and four at Rocky River High School. All of her coaching experience has taught her a lot about herself. It has also made her realize that soccer is less important than the people she’s molding students into.

Vacha also gives back to Magnificat students by being a Genesis mentor. As a student at Magnificat, she completed her Genesis with Judge Eileen T. Gallagher, who at the time was a judge for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas—an experience that solidified that she wanted to be in court. Knowing that it is sometimes difficult to find a mentor, she said that if she has the ability to help, she wants to be that person for a student.

For Vacha, leadership is rooted in authenticity and empathy. She credits former homicide supervisor, John Kosko, as a model of integrity.

“He was true to who he was and always did what he said he would do,” she said.

Whether in the courtroom, on the field, or mentoring students, Vacha strives to live by that same principle, standing by her convictions and leading with fairness.

Alumna Advice: Christina Vacha ’05

“I’ve learned that being a leader means being true to who you are,” she said. “It means doing the right thing, even when it’s hard—and helping others find the courage to do the same.”