Justice Pamela R. Goodwine was elected to the Kentucky Supreme Court in November 2024 from the 5th Appellate District comprising Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Scott and Woodford Counties. Upon taking office on January 6, 2025, she became the first woman and fifth Justice to serve at all four levels of the judiciary in Kentucky.
Prior to being elected to the Supreme Court, Justice Goodwine served six years as a Judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, having been elected in November of 2018 and being re-elected unopposed in 2022. She chaired the Prehearing Conference and Personnel Committees. In January 2023, Chief Judge Larry E. Thompson named her as Deputy Chief Judge.
Prior to her election to the Court of Appeals, Justice Goodwine was Chief Regional Circuit Judge for Fayette County. She served as a circuit court judge since November of 2003. She served as a district court judge from August of 1999 until November of 2003.
Justice Goodwine was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. She moved to Lexington, Kentucky in November of 1979 to work as a court stenographer. Despite tragedy, obstacles, and a life-threatening illness, Justice Goodwine received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky, Carol Martin Gatton College of Business in 1991. She graduated from the University of Kentucky, College of Law in 1994. She was admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in October 1994. She was in private practice with the law firm of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs from 1994 until her appointment to the district court bench in August of 1999. Her primary practice area was labor and employment law. More recently, Justice Goodwine earned her Master of Laws degree in Judicial Studies from Duke University School of Law in May 2023.
Prior to her appointment to the bench, Justice Goodwine chaired the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. She also served as a commissioner of that agency. Justice Goodwine was inducted into the Carol Martin Gatton College of Business and Economics Alumni Hall of Fame in February 2000. She was named the Fayette County Bar Association's Outstanding Young Lawyer in May 2001. On September 21, 2012, Justice Goodwine received the Henry V. Pennington Trial Judge of the Year Award from the Kentucky Justice Association. Justice Goodwine also served as a Fayette County Drug Court judge from 2011 until her election to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. In March of 2018, Justice Goodwine received the 2018 “Women Making History" Award from the Kentucky Commission on Women and in April of 2018, she received the Carl Brashear, “Walking by Faith" Award from the Carter G. Woodson Academy. In April of 2019, she received the “Fair Administration of Justice" Award from the Kentucky Academy of Defense Lawyers and the “Distinguished Jurist" Award from the UK College of Law Alumni Association in June of 2019 and the “Torch of Excellence" Award from the UK College of Law Alumni Association in October of 2019 at the 29th Annual Lyman T. Johnson Awards Banquet. She was named One of The Kentucky Gazette's 2020 "Most Notable Women" in Kentucky Politics and Government.
Justice Goodwine is a member of the National Bar Association, the Kentucky Bar Association and the Fayette County Bar Association. She is a Life Fellow of the Kentucky Bar Foundation. Justice Goodwine is active in the community and is a member of Central Kentucky American Inns of Court, the Lexington Forum and the Rotary Club of Lexington. She is a frequent motivational speaker and presenter for continuing legal education.
Justice Goodwine is married to Lee A. Padgett, Jr. They have two children, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren. In June 2012, Justice Goodwine was certified as a Jazzercise fitness instructor. She enjoys motivational speaking, interior design and health, fitness and wellness classes.