Judge Pamela R. Goodwine Becomes 1st Black Woman To Serve On Kentucky’s Supreme Court

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Congratulations are in order for Judge Pamela R. Goodwine of Kentucky. The court official made history on Feb.18 when it was announced that she would become the first Black woman to serve on Kentucky’s Supreme Court, The Vindicator reported.

Judge Goodwine’s seat is well deserved given her triumphs and setbacks. According to the Kentucky Court of Justice’s website, Judge Goodwine was elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals in November 2018 and was re-elected unopposed in November 2022, representing Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Scott, and Woodford counties. In January 2023, Chief Judge Larry Thompson appointed her as Chief Judge Pro Tem.

In May 2023, Judge Goodwine earned an LLM in Judicial Studies from Duke University School of Law, completing a rigorous two-year program that involved original research, a thesis, and coursework led by prominent scholars, federal judges, and U.S. Supreme Court justices. Throughout her studies, Judge Goodwine continued to manage a full caseload while balancing her coursework and thesis work.

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Prior to her election to the Court of Appeals, Judge Goodwine served as Chief Regional Circuit Judge for Fayette County. She held a circuit court judge position from November 2003 to November 2018 and served as a district court judge from August 1999 to November 2003.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Judge Goodwine notably made history as the first Black woman to serve on the bench in Fayette County, after becoming chief regional circuit judge in 1999 through her appointment by Governor Paul E. Patton. She also made history as the first Black female trial judge on the circuit court bench, a role she held for 15 years, The Vindicator noted. 

Judge Goodwine’s road to success was rocky.

Judge Goodwine faced numerous challenges on her journey to success. In January 1980, she began her studies at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, pursuing an undergraduate degree as the first step toward her dream of law school. But just three months later, tragedy struck when her adoptive mother was murdered in Campbell County.

Despite the setback, Goodwine continued to press forward. Four years later, she began serving on the Fayette County Circuit Court, only to face yet another obstacle. She was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a debilitating condition that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. The disease forced her to drop out of school, quit working, and undergo multiple surgeries. 

“The doctors didn’t think I’d survive,” the history maker told The Vindicator on Tuesday.

Thankfully, Judge Goodwine’s resilience prevailed. After an extended period of recovery, she re-enrolled at the University of Kentucky and, in May 1991, earned her law degree, and went on to have an extraordinary career. 

Judge Goodwine has earned numerous accolades throughout her career. In March 2018, she was awarded the “Women Making History” Award by the Kentucky Commission on Women. The following month, she received the Carl Brashear “Walking by Faith” Award from the Carter G. Woodson Academy. Additionally, in 2020, the Kentucky Gazette named her one of the Notable Women in Kentucky Politics and Government. Judge Goodwine was also recently honored with a prestigious award by Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert during a Black History Month event in Frankfurt earlier this month, according to a post shared by the Kentucky Courts’ X account on Feb. 13.

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