State Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert will become the first woman to be Kentucky’s chief justice starting next year.?

Justices on the court selected Lambert to serve as the next chief justice on Monday. She will serve a four-year term starting Jan. 6, 2025, according to an announcement from the Administrative Office of the Courts.?

Lambert represents the 3rd Supreme Court District and was elected to the court in 2018. In a statement, she said she was “humbled and honored to have been elected by my colleagues” to serve as chief justice.?

“I know it is certainly no small task to lead the Judicial Branch of government,” Lambert said. “Our judges, clerks and administrative employees handle large dockets and special programs with great efficiency. While it may be notable that I will be the first woman to serve as chief justice in Kentucky, I am most proud to be a small-town kid from the mountains of Eastern Kentucky who has had a lot of support and encouragement along the way.”??

Lambert is a native of Bell County and now lives in Pulaski County with her husband, Joseph Sharpe. Lambert earned her degrees from Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky College of Law. She previously was married to former Chief Justice Joseph Lambert, who left the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2008.

Last year, Chief Justice Laurance VanMeter announced he would not be seeking reelection in the 5th Supreme Court district.?

“Chief Justice-elect Lambert is a hard-working, dedicated and experienced member of the Kentucky Court of Justice, having served as Family Court Judge, Court of Appeals Judge and Justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court. Altogether, she has served as a judge or justice for more than 17 years,” VanMeter said. “I am confident that Chief Justice-elect Lambert will lead the Judicial Branch with integrity and ensure the efficient and fair administration of justice for this great commonwealth.”

Before joining the Supreme Court, Lambert was on the Kentucky Court of Appeals and was appointed as a family court circuit judge in the 28th Judicial Circuit by former Gov. Paul Patton in 1999. She practiced law in Mount Vernon as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney and city attorney.?

Lambert also leads the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health and volunteers as a certified suicide prevention trainer.