A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 1978 to 1986.

[1] Celebrezze was elected as a judge of the Ohio Supreme Court in 1972, defeating Republican Robert E. Leach.

In 1978, he was elected as Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, defeating Republican Thomas M. Herbert.

That year Celebrezze brought a successful libel suit against The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, based on an article that alleged that Celebrezze's campaign had accepted contributions from groups with organized crime connections.

His first cousin, Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr., was an elected official and candidate for Ohio governor.