Kentucky’s first female chief justice credits Appalachian upbringing for her commitment to fairness
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s first female chief justice said Tuesday that she’s “never given much thought to gender,” an outlook she attributed in part to her upbringing when she worked at her father’s auto shop.
“I don’t think you can expect good or bad decisions that I might make as chief (justice) to be either clouded or enhanced by my double X chromosomes,” said Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert. “They will simply be either good or bad decisions — and carefully made.”
Lambert was chosen by her colleagues on the state Supreme Court last year to succeed Laurance VanMeter as chief justice after he opted not to seek reelection in 2024. Her Appalachian upbringing also forged her commitment to fairness and for everyone to have a voice, she said Tuesday.
Lambert also said that it’s “especially nice” to be part of the first female majority on Kentucky’s Supreme Court. Kentucky’s top leaders marked both milestones during a ceremony in the Supreme Court chambers. The event initially was set for January but a winter storm forced its rescheduling.
The contest last year to fill VanMeter’s seat led to another milestone achievement, when Pamela R. Goodwine became the first Black woman elected to Kentucky’s highest court. And she became the fourth woman on the seven-member court. A similar ceremony recognizing Goodwine’s election is set for Friday. Both Lambert and Goodwine have already assumed their new roles.
Goodwine said Tuesday that she’s inspired by Lambert’s example as a trailblazer in the judiciary.
“Your leadership is a tribute to the progress we continue to make in building a judiciary that reflects the diversity and strength of our society,” Goodwine said.
When it was her turn to talk, Lambert said becoming the first woman chief justice “I suppose is notable.”
“Truthfully, I’ve never given much thought to gender,” Lambert said. “And perhaps that attitude came from where I was raised – the mountains of eastern Kentucky.”
That included the life lessons she learned while working at her father’s auto body shop, including the time she had to replace the brake shoes in her car. Lambert said she told her dad she needed his help, having never done the task before. He responded by telling her to watch closely how she removed the old brake shoes and to put the new ones on the same way, she said.
As chief justice, Lambert said she’ll be guided by her parents’ philosophy to work hard, be joyful and fearless. She said her passion for people and justice developed during her Appalachian upbringing.
“When you grow up so modestly, you develop a strong sense of a need for a level playing field and for everyone to be heard,” she said. “Those concepts are foundational in my worldview, and I hope you will be satisfied with my work performed as chief justice.”
Supreme Court Justice Michelle M. Keller said Tuesday that the court’s process of interpreting and applying the rule of law hasn’t changed now that women are the court’s majority.
“Because first and foremost, the four women on this court are judges and lawyers,” Keller said. “And that’s what we bring to this job. All seven of us bring that to this job. We all bring our personal experiences and our personal backgrounds.”
Kentucky’s Democratic governor and the Republican leaders of the state House and Senate spoke about the historic milestones on the state’s highest court.
Gov. Andy Beshear said the court holds a “special responsibility” of upholding the law and sometimes defining it — “and to do so without bias or favor to any person or to any party.”
The state’s Supreme Court justices are elected in nonpartisan contests and, as a result, their job “is to move our commonwealth not to the left or to the right but forward for all of our citizens,” said Beshear, who is seen as a potential candidate for president in 2028.
“Our high court justices and the many people who support their important work make up the backbone of our democracy — the rule of law,” the governor said. “This is the foundation of a functional system of government. One that’s designed to serve the people and not merely the powerful.”