For the first time in history, Kentucky's Judicial Branch will be led by a woman.
Kentucky Supreme Court justices have elected Deputy Chief Justice Debra Lambert to lead the high court. Her four-year term will begin Jan. 6, 2025.
Lambert will succeed current Chief Justice Laurence VanMeter as Chief Justice.
“I am confident that Chief Justice-elect Lambert will lead the Judicial Branch with integrity and ensure the efficient and fair administration of justice for this great commonwealth," VanMeter said in a statement.
Lambert is a native of Bell County who was elected to the state Supreme Court in 2018. She previously served as a Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge for four years. Her resume also includes time as a family court judge for Lincoln, Pulaski, and Rockcastle counties where she created the first drug court in the area. She currently heads the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health.
"While it may be notable that I will be the first woman to serve as chief justice in Kentucky, I am most proud to be a small-town kid from the mountains of Eastern Kentucky who has had a lot of support and encouragement along the way," Lambert said in a news release from the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts.
Lambert earned a bachelor's degree from Eastern Kentucky University and a law degree from the University of Kentucky. Her legal career began as an assistant commonwealth's attorney and city attorney for the city of Mount Vernon.
Lambert resides on Lake Cumberland in Pulaski County.
