Lori Goodwin

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Lori Goodwin

Nonpartisan

Jefferson County Family Court 3rd Division

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2031

Years in position

4

Predecessor

Ellie Kerstetter

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

University of Louisville, 2003

Personal

Birthplace

Louisville, Ky.

Profession

Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Louisville

Lori Goodwin is a judge of the Jefferson County Family Court 3rd Division in Kentucky. She assumed office on January 4, 2021. Her current term ends on January 6, 2031.

Goodwin ran for re-election for judge of the Jefferson County Family Court 3rd Division in Kentucky. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Biography

Goodwin was born on October 23, 1980, in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Louisville with a bachelor's degree in 2003. She has also attended classes at Marquette University Law School. Goodwin's professional experience includes working as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Louisville.

Elections

2022

See also: City elections in Louisville, Kentucky (2022)

General election

General election for Jefferson County Family Court 3rd Division

Incumbent Lori Goodwin won election in the general election for Jefferson County Family Court 3rd Division on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lori Goodwin (Nonpartisan)	98.3	146,056
		Other/Write-in votes	1.7	2,469

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 148,525
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Lori Goodwin advanced from the primary for Jefferson County Family Court 3rd Division.

2020

See also: City elections in Louisville, Kentucky (2020)

General election

Special general election for Jefferson County Family Court 3rd Division

Lori Goodwin defeated incumbent Ellie Kerstetter and Daren Neel in the special general election for Jefferson County Family Court 3rd Division on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lori Goodwin (Nonpartisan)	50.5	137,035
		Ellie Kerstetter (Nonpartisan)	26.1	70,880
		Daren Neel (Nonpartisan)	23.3	63,309

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 271,224
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Municipal elections in Louisville, Kentucky (2018)

General election

Special general election for Kentucky 30th District Court 4th Division

Incumbent Lauren Adams Ogden defeated Lori Goodwin in the special general election for Kentucky 30th District Court 4th Division on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lauren Adams Ogden (Nonpartisan)	50.4	105,441
		Lori Goodwin (Nonpartisan)	49.6	103,750

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 209,191 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Lori Goodwin did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Lori Goodwin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Goodwin's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an attorney with over twelve years of experience representing clients in family court in Jefferson County, Kentucky. I have dedicated my entire legal career to representing survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in family court; 100 % of my legal practice is within the family court system. I practice cases on several different family court dockets, including the divorce, custody, paternity, and domestic violence dockets. I am the most experienced candidate to serve as Jefferson County's next family court judge.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• My entire legal career has been within the family court system in Jefferson County, Kentucky.
• I understand that every family is unique and that blanket decisions cannot be made for every family that comes before the court.
• I want to use my extensive experience and knowledge of family law to serve the residents of Jefferson County on a larger scale. Each litigant will be treated with dignity and respect and it is my goal to render effective decisions as expeditiously as possible.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about keeping individuals and families safe from violence. As an attorney who has represented hundreds of clients who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault I am extremely passionate about establishing and maintaining safe environments for survivors. I think it is imperative that the public have a better understanding of these issues in an effort to spot red flags and to also exercise more empathy to those who find themselves in abusive relationships.
I am also passionate about equal justice for all in our legal system and access to justice. Ones socio-economic or racial/ethnic background should have no bearing on their ability to seek and gain justice in our legal system.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

In my personal life my biggest inspiration is my mother. She is a strong, intelligent, caring, and giving woman who I aspire to be like in my life. On a professional level I have several attorneys and judges that I look up to tremendously; these individuals have taught my invaluable lessons on how to be the best attorney that I can possibly be.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Qualities that I posses that would make be a successful judge are many. I am respectful, compassionate, and honest. I am an independent and analytical thinker. I am hard working and produce my work product in an efficient manner. I am accustomed to working with large case loads and have a wealth of experience working with diverse populations of people. I am open-minded and an excellent listener. I am always open to learning new things, constructive criticism, and keeping up-to-date on relevant issues. I am a leader, but also know how to be a team player when needed. I am a decisive person and have no problem making hard decisions. I work well under pressure and am not swayed by peer pressure. I also understand that as an elected official it will be my job to serve the residents of Jefferson County. This position is not about me and remaining humble at all times is important to maintain a level head.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

There are several core responsibilities of an elected official. One of those responsibilities is to serve the public in the most effective manner possible. It is a judge's responsibility to listen, analyze, and render decisions that are appropriate to resolve the issues presented to them. Another core responsibility is to know how to do the job before taking office. For instance, it is imperative that a judge know the laws, rules, and procedures of the particular court in which they serve before taking office. Judges are making decisions that have real-life consequences for the people who come before them. Having experience and knowledge prior to taking office is needed to effectively uphold ones responsibilities to the public day. It is also the responsibility to an elected official to be honest, trustworthy, and respectful.

What is your favorite book? Why?

One of my favorite books is "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. I love the story of Little Women because it tells the struggles and hardships of each member in the March family while also showing how strong and loving a family can be. The story of love, pain, resilience, and success, especially of young women has always resonated with me and it will forever be one of my favorite reads.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Yes, I believe that it is important for a judge to exercise empathy. Judges must realize that various individuals with different backgrounds and life experiences will be before them. Judges should be able to step outside of their personal experiences to gain a better understanding of why litigants may be in the positions that brought them before the court.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not believe that a judge has to have prior governmental or political experience to be an effective judge. A judge must be have an understanding of the relevant statutes, rules, and procedures in the area over which they preside to be successful; having a political or government background does not equate to possessing the skills necessary to be an effective judge.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

I do not believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection on a judge's ability to do their their job. Bar Association ratings are often sent out to every attorney who is a member of that particular Bar Association. Not every attorney who is rating a judge or candidate to become judge will have any professional experience with the individual being rated. If an attorney has never had any professional dealings with a judge or candidate being rated then their rating is subjective and not based on any objective, relevant facts to that judge's ability. Similarly, if an bar member is rating someone based solely on their personal relationship with the individual being rated those ratings can often be inflated when in reality the judge or candidate's ability to do the job does not live up to the rating they received.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Footnotes

Kentucky courts

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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