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Joseph Lambert
Joseph E. Lambert was a justice on the Supreme Court of Kentucky. He was elected in 1986 by the citizens of the 3rd Supreme Court District, which is composed of 27 counties. Lambert retired from this position on June 27, 2008.
Education
Lambert received his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown College and his J.D. from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.
As chief justice
In 1998, he became Kentucky’s fourth chief justice for a four-year term through a vote of his fellow justices. He was elected chief justice a second time in 2002 and a third time in 2006.
Retirement
After a decade as chief justice and nearly 22 years as a justice of the Supreme Court of Kentucky, Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert left the court to join the Senior Judge Program.
In his retirement announcement, Justice Lambert said, "We have made great progress in the last decade to improve Kentucky courts and make them more responsive to the needs of Kentucky’s families and children. As with any individual’s efforts, however, there comes a time to move on. I believe it’s a mistake to remain for too long in a high-level position in government. When I became chief justice, it was with the full intention of serving only two four-year terms. However, due to a massive number of judicial elections in 2006 and due to significant changes in the makeup of the Supreme Court at that time, I felt a duty to stay through the period of transition. I’m happy to say that the Court of Justice continues to operate smoothly and this is an appropriate time for me to move on to other professional opportunities."[1]
2002 election
Lambert was re-elected to the Kentucky Supreme Court after running unopposed in 2002.[2]
Awards and associations
The Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy gave Chief Justice Lambert its Robert F. Stephens Public Service Award in 2006. In 2004, he received the Civil Rights Award from both the Northern Kentucky NAACP and the Lexington NAACP for his commitment to eliminating discrimination. In 2003, he was awarded the Kentucky Bar Association President’s Special Service Award. He was given the Kentucky Public Advocate Award in 2001. In 2000, the Kentucky Bar Association named him Outstanding Judge and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals gave him its Leadership Award.
In October 2007, U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. appointed Chief Justice Lambert to a three-year membership on the Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction of the Judicial Conference of the United States. The Judicial Conference of the United States established the Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction in 1987 to study proposed changes in federal jurisdiction and to serve as a liaison with the state courts.
External links
Footnotes
