Kentucky: Court of Justice

“Public confidence in our courts is essential to the administration of justice, which in turn is necessary for the proper functioning of our system of government.”
Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert

On January 5, 2000, Chief Justice Lambert and Executive Director Cicely Lambert created the Office of Minority Affairs. This office is responsible for developing diversity outreach programs. The Minority Affairs Office is now available to help anyone who has questions about the court system, especially questions involving minority and diversity issues.

The primary goal of this office is to create systematic change that will eliminate barriers, real or perceived, that exist between the court system and the public it serves. Public forums will help familiarize members of minority communities with the court process. Other new, creative, and engaging outreach initiatives will be designed to promote public trust and understanding of the courts by encouraging citizen participation in programs such as Minority and diversity training will be developed for judicial and nonjudicial court personnel. Local judges and court clerks will be encouraged to increase the professional opportunities made available to members of minority communities by improving notification of employment opportunities at the local level. The Minority Affairs Office will form strategic partnerships with state colleges and universities to aggressively recruit minorities to pursue legal careers in Kentucky.

When minorities are underrepresented in all aspects of the justice system, the users of our courts perceive inequity in the system.The Minority Affairs Office and the judiciary continue systematically examine all policies and procedures to ensure that they do not operate to the detriment of any person on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or national origin.

Department of Human Resources, Office of Minority Affairs