Prior to her election in 1996, Lead Juvenile Judge Dana Preisse was in private practice for more than eleven years with an emphasis in family law and litigation. She was an active member of the Columbus Bar Association's (CBA) Family Law Committee and volunteered in the CBA Lawyers for Justice program which provided free legal services to low income families. She was appointed by Governor Taft to the Children's Trust Fund Board, serves on the Franklin County Children's Cabinet, is a member of the Ohio Supreme Court's Guardian ad Litem Standards Task Force and is a faculty member for the Ohio Judicial College.

Preisse has served on the Board for two United Way Agency half-way houses: Alvis House where she is currently a member and Traynor House, where she served for fourteen years. She is a mentor for high school students who are interested in legal or criminal justice careers through Dublin's Young Professionals Academy and Upper Arlington's Career Exploration Program. She received the "Forty Under Forty" Award in 1998.

In November 2000, Preisse initiated the Bring Out Our Kids' Smiles (BOOKS) program at Juvenile Court. The BOOKS program gives the juvenile offender the option, as part of a community service requirement, to purchase books or school supplies for domestic violence and homeless shelters which will assist underprivileged children. The youth is required to prepare a 500 word essay about the experience and is educated about domestic violence issues in the process. Additionally, Preisse was instrumental in expanding the Court's Juvenile Restitution and Community Service program to include an on-site supervisor to expand community service in Franklin County neighborhoods.