Denise Clayton
Denise G. Clayton was a judge for Division 2 of the Kentucky Court of Appeals 4th Appellate District. She assumed office in 2007. She left office on January 1, 2023.
Clayton was the chief judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, representing Division 2 of the 4th Appellate District. She was appointed to the court by former Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher in October 2007 and was elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2014.[1][2] Clayton was sworn in as chief judge of the court on June 1, 2018, for a four year term ending May 31, 2022. She previously served as chief judge pro tem beginning in July 2016.[3]
When Clayton joined the court, she became the first black woman to serve on the Kentucky Court of Appeals.[1]
Clayton did not seek re-election in 2022.
Education
Clayton received her bachelor's degree from Defiance College and her J.D. from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.[1]
Career
Clayton began her legal career as an Internal Revenue Service attorney. She later ran a private law practice and served as director of student legal services at the University of Louisville. She served as the associate director of the Legal Aid Society of Louisville before her appointment to the Jefferson County District Court in 1996. Clayton was also a family court and drug court judge in Jefferson County. Clayton was the first black woman to serve as a circuit judge for Jefferson County and she later served as chief circuit judge before her appointment to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. She was chief regional circuit judge for the Metro Region for a few months prior to her court of appeals appointment.[1]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2012: Distinguished Judge Award, Kentucky Bar Association
- Public Advocate Award, Department of Public Advocacy
- Distinguished Alumna Award, Brandeis School of Law
- Alumni Achievement Award, Defiance College
- Community Service Award, Optimist Club of Louisville
- Justice William E. McAnulty, Jr. Trailblazer Award, Louisville Bar Association
- Meritorious Service Award, Louisville Chapter NAACP
- "Interesting Personality" Award, Who’s Who in Black Louisville
- Champion for Children Award, Shawnee High School[1]
Associations
- Chair, Chief Justice’s Commission on Racial Fairness for Jefferson County’s courts
- Member, Louisville Bar Association
- Member, Louisville Black Lawyers Association
- Member, Women Lawyers Association
- Member, Focus Louisville
- Board of directors, Summerbridge
- Board of directors, Norton Hospital Foundation[1]
Elections
2022
Denise Clayton did not file to run for re-election.
2014
See also: Kentucky judicial elections, 2014
Clayton ran for re-election to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
General: She defeated Stan Whetzel in the general election on November 4, 2014, receiving 72.4 percent of the vote.
[4]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Kentucky Court of Justice, "Judge Denise Clayton," accessed June 2, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "2008 General Election results," accessed June 2, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky Court of Justice, "Judge Denise Clayton," accessed June 30, 2020
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Election: 2014 Primary Election: Judge of the Court of Appeals," accessed February 5, 2014
Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky
State courts:
Kentucky Supreme Court • Kentucky Court of Appeals • Kentucky Circuit Courts • Kentucky District Courts • Kentucky Family Court
State resources:
Courts in Kentucky • Kentucky judicial elections • Judicial selection in Kentucky
