Born on September 9, 1891, in Spalding, Michigan, Howard Ohm attended elementary and high school in Milwaukee. He entered the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1908 and received his law degree five years later.

His practice with the firm of Riley and Ohm specialized in legislative research, bill drafting, and law revision. He also served as counsel for a number of legislative interim committees and did legal work for the Board of Public Affairs. From 1927 to 1931, Ohm was an examiner for the Workmen’s Compensation Division of the Industrial Commission. In 1933, he was appointed chief of the Legislative Reference Library.

Ohm was the first president of the Legislative Service Conference and helped found and organize the Madison chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. He died on October 5, 1949, in Madison.