Women will soon fill four of these seven seats, the first time the majority of Kentucky Supreme Court justices have been women. (Getty Images)
Kentucky’s next Supreme Court is shaping up to be a historic one for women.
With the election of Kentucky’s first Black female justice, Pamela Goodwine , women will hold four of the court’s seven seats. Additionally, the court will be led by the first female chief justice, Deputy Chief Justice Debra Lambert , starting in January.
As of earlier this year, 17 states have female majorities on their supreme court benches, according to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice. Alaska was also poised to gain a female majority after seven women sought a seat on its Supreme Court this summer.
Goodwine’s election also makes her the first woman in history who will serve at every level of Kentucky’s judiciary branch: district court, circuit court, appeals court and the Supreme Court. . She said in a statement to the Kentucky Lantern that the milestone “reminds me of the women who came before me, paving the way through hard work, determination and resilience, often overcoming significant obstacles to reach their goals.”