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Supreme Court Justice Michelle Keller participated in panels — one national, one state — recently


Supreme Court of Kentucky Justice Michelle M. Keller of Fort Mitchell recently participated in two panels, one on the national level and another on the state level.

Justice Michelle Keller

She was one of five panelists who took part in a July 8 webinar hosted by the National Conference of Bar Presidents. The program was titled How Bar Associations Can Advance the Rule of Law Now and focused on the important role that bar associations play in “advocating for and defending the rule of law through work with legislatures, courts, and the public.”

You can watch the program here (available to the public until the next 21st Century Lawyer webinar and to NCBP members after that).

And on July 19, Justice Keller was a speaker at the Inaugural Women’s Summit hosted by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce at Central Bank Center in Lexington. Kate Shanks, senior vice president of public affairs for the Kentucky Chamber, moderated a panel that included Justice Keller, State Sen. Julie Raque Adams, State Rep. Joni L. Jenkins and Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball.

Their conversation explored “motivations for getting involved in public service, their experiences in Frankfort, and the importance of serving as role models for young women interested in running for office.”

During the session, Justice Keller talked about the heightened divisiveness over the past year.

“We can lead ourselves back to a place of civil discourse … and we can respect each other’s differences. We’re just a little lost in the woods right now,” she said.

Justice Keller serves the Northern Kentucky counties that comprise the 6th Supreme Court District.

She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2013 and elected to an eight-year term in 2014. She was a judge on the Kentucky Court of Appeals from 2006 until her Supreme Court appointment in 2013. She currently serves as chair of the Kentucky Access to Justice Commission and the Supreme Court Criminal Rules Committee.

The Supreme Court is the state court of last resort and the final interpreter of Kentucky law. Seven justices sit on the Supreme Court and rule on appeals that come before the court. The justices are elected from seven appellate districts and serve eight-year terms.

A chief justice, chosen for a four-year term by his or her fellow justices, is the administrative head of the state’s court system and is responsible for its operation. The Supreme Court may order a ruling or opinion to be published, which means that the ruling becomes the case law governing all similar cases in the future in Kentucky.
 


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