The Kentucky Court of Justice provides a wide range of resources to prepare new judges to take the bench. This support will be especially important in 2022, when the
four and eight-year election cycles coincide to put nearly every judgeship in Kentucky on the ballot. This year all district, circuit and Court of Appeals seats and four of the seven Supreme Courts seats are up for election.
Kentucky’s general election is Nov. 8, and newly elected judges will take office Jan. 2, 2023.
Given the likelihood of significant changes to Kentucky’s judicial complement, the KCOJ is planning a New Judges Orientation to give the successful candidates the tools they’ll need to transition from attorney to judge. To that end, the KCOJ is asking new judges to save the date for a mandatory, in-person New Judges Orientation in December 2022.
The orientation will be mandatory for all newly elected district and circuit judges, all district judges sworn in after Dec. 13, 2018, and all circuit judges sworn in after Feb. 26, 2019. This program is being hosted by the Administrative Office of the Courts in conjunction with the Circuit Judges Education Committee and the District Judges Education Committee.
Registration & Hotel Accommodations
The AOC will email details about the location and venue along with registration information to new judges the week of Nov. 14. Please note that the AOC’s Judicial Branch Education will make hotel reservations for all new judges.
New Judges Orientation
December 2022
The New Judges Orientation will consist of Judicial Education Courses and a Resource Fair. The sessions will focus on core judicial topics and will be taught by judges and other presenters.
In addition, the AOC will host a Resource Fair where court managers and staff will help new judges with the onboarding process. This includes new employee paperwork, court technology, email address, Westlaw access, robes, stationery items and headshots. Judges will also learn procedures for hiring judicial staff and obtain information about the AOC’s statewide programs – Family & Juvenile Services, Language Access, Pretrial Services and Specialty Courts.
District Judges Schedule
Day 1
District Judges: Arrive, Register and Attend Mentor/Mentee Dinner
Days 2-4
District Judges: Judicial Education Courses
Days 4-5
Resource Fair: 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Day 5
Joint Judicial Education Courses: District Judges and Circuit Judges (General & Family Court Jurisdictions) District judges depart after session adjourns
Circuit Judges Schedule
Day 1
Circuit Judges: Arrive, Register and Attend Resource Fair (1-5:30 p.m.)
Circuit Judges: Dinner and Program, 6-8 p.m.
Day 2
Joint Judicial Education Courses: District Judges and Circuit Judges (General & Family Court Jurisdictions) District judges depart after session adjourns
Days 3-5
Circuit Judges: Plenary and Jurisdiction Track Judicial Education Courses
Day 3
Circuit Judges: Mentor/Mentee Dinner