FRANKFORT, Ky., April 2, 2025 – The Supreme Court of Kentucky will hold ceremonial investitures the third week of April for Chief Justice of the Commonwealth Debra Hembree Lambert and Justice Pamela R. Goodwine. The events will take place in the historic Supreme Court Courtroom on the second floor of the state Capitol in Frankfort.
The investitures mark several historic milestones for the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Lambert is the commonwealth’s first female chief justice, and Justice Goodwine is the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. This is also the first time the court has had a female majority.
The investitures are open to the public, but seating is limited. Stream the investitures live or view them later at ket.org/supremecourt.
Chief Justice Lambert will be sworn in at 1:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday, April 15, by her predecessor as chief justice, Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter (ret.).
Chief Justice Lambert is the justice for the 3rd Supreme Court District, which is made up of 25 counties. She was elected as a justice in November 2018 and was the first chair of the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health, a groundbreaking commission that focuses on improving the judicial response to cases involving mental health, substance use and intellectual disabilities.
Speakers will include Gov. Andy Beshear, Senate President Robert Stivers, Speaker of the House David W. Osborne, Circuit Judge Gregory A. Lay (Knox and Laurel counties) and Chief Justice Lambert’s son, attorney Joseph P. Lambert.
Justice Goodwine will be sworn in at 1:30 p.m. EDT Friday, April 18, also by Chief Justice VanMeter, who is her predecessor as the justice for the 5th Supreme Court District.
Justice Goodwine was elected in November to Central Kentucky’s Supreme Court District of Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Scott and Woodford counties. She was serving as deputy chief judge of the Court of Appeals when she was elected to the Supreme Court.
Speakers will include Gov. Beshear and attorney Barbara Edelman, a partner at Dinsmore & Shohl. Fayette County District Court Judge Melissa Moore Murphy will lead a singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Supreme Court of Kentucky
The Supreme Court of Kentucky is the state court of last resort and the final interpreter of Kentucky law. Seven justices sit on the court and all seven justices rule on appeals before the court. The justices are elected from seven Supreme Court districts and serve eight-year terms. Per the Kentucky Constitution, a chief justice, chosen for a four-year term by his or her fellow justices, is the administrative head of the state court system and is responsible for overseeing its operations. The Supreme Court establishes rules of practice and procedure for all Kentucky judges and attorneys.
