13 www.loubar.org March 2026 “WE CANNOT ALL SUCCEED WHEN HALF OF US ARE HELD BACK.” – Malala Yousafzai Adobe Stock _1334200380 “THERE IS NO FORCE MORE POWERFUL THAN A WOMAN DETERMINED TO RISE.” – W.E.B. Du Bois Adobe Stock _ 1522498837 judge hired me as his first woman law clerk. After two years in that position, I readily found a place at a major Louisville law firm.” To some extent the times had changed. Law firms realized they could employ more than one woman lawyer without pandemonium or “hen parties” ensuing. Women Ascend to the Judiciary It was only a matter of time before women occupied judicial positions. Olga Peers, having graduated from UofL School of Law in 1951 and after many years of practicing law, is generally recognized as the first woman appointed to the old Louisville Police Court in 1972. (However, Wikipedia reports the first woman judge in Kentucky was Kathleen Mulligan in 1928. List of first women lawyers and judges in Kentucky - Wikipedia.) After the courts were reformed, in 1978 Peers was elected as a District Court Judge. Judge Peers later became the first woman to serve as a Circuit Court Judge and remained in that position until her retirement in 1990. See SR 148; see also, UofL Interview 4/41993 Interview with Judge Peers. https://ohc.library.louisville.edu/subjects/622. Another trailblazer for women jurists, Ellen Ewing was one of the first women elected to the bench on Jefferson County’s juvenile court in 1978. University of Louisville Oral History Center. The Honorable Judge Ewing eventually became Chief Circuit Judge. In 1990, the LBA awarded her a richly deserved honor, “Judge of the Year.” Women Judges’ Impact From first-hand experience, women lawyers who appeared before both Judge Peers and Judge Ewing report they wit- nessed both judges’ brilliant intellect, even-handedness and judicial temperament on the bench: “It was a pleasure and honor to appear in front of them and litigate in their courtrooms.” Political Progress and Appointments Just as women in legal recruiting positions helped other women in the legal profession, there were some giants in politics, such as Governor Paul Patton, (D) (serving 1995 to 2003). Governor Patton appointed a record number of women to the Kentucky judiciary. Governor Patton truly was a trailblazer, appointing 29 women to judicial positions, a full 41% of his appointments. The previous high was 17%. Governor Patton appointed more women and minorities to the bench than any other governor in Kentucky at that time, and more women to judicial positions during his first term than all the previous Kentucky governors combined. See Miller, Penny M. (1996) “Staking Their Claim: The Impact of Kentucky Women in the Political Process,” Ken- tucky Law Journal: Vol. 84: Iss. 4, Article 14. Available at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/klj/vol84/iss4/14. Justice Lisabeth Hughes, Justice Sara Walter Combs, Justice Pamela Goodwine, Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman, Judge Denise Clayton, Judge Karen Conrad and Judge Joan Byer are just some of the stellar jurists who were appointed to the courts by Governor Patton. Modern Shifts and Remaining Challenges The times continue to change for women lawyers and the profession. Three years ago, for the first time, women sur- passed men as law firm associates. Women now are also the majority in law schools. Nevertheless, despite the influx of women in law schools and the profession, according to the ABA, “men still dominate the upper echelons of the legal profession through federal judgeships, state supreme courts, law firm partnerships and corporate counsel positions.” See “Women in the Legal Pro- fession” American Bar Association. There still is a way to go before women lawyers are fully accepted in the profession. Women lawyers report more dissatisfaction in how they are treated at law firms, such as a lack of recognition and opportunities for advancement. Fifty percent of women at law firms also reported sexual harassment. One in four feared retaliation if harassment was reported. According to the ABA report on Women in the Law, male lawyers still greatly outnumber women lawyers. If current trends continue, it will be two decades before women hold equal numbers nationwide in the profession. Kentucky may take even longer for parity in the profession. While 41% of lawyers nationwide are women, our Com- monwealth is playing catchup; only 37% of Kentucky lawyers are women. Conclusion Women have come a long way in the legal profession. As Bob Dylan, the poet laureate of this generation of women, sings: “The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast The slowest now will later be fast As the present now will later be past The order is rapidly fadin’ And the first one now will later be last Cause the times, they are a-changin’” Song by Bob Dylan, 1964 Dorothy J. Chambers, traveler, free-lance writer and grandma, is a member of the LBA Communications Committee. n (Continued from previous page) “IF THEY DON’T GIVE YOU A SEAT AT THE TABLE, BRING A FOLDING CHAIR.” – Shirley Chisholm Public domain, via Wikipedia
