Justice Michelle M. Keller was appointed to the Kentucky Supreme Court in April 2013. She was subsequently elected in both 2014 and 2022 for two full terms on the Court. Prior to her service on the Supreme Court, Justice Keller was elected as a Judge to the Kentucky Court of Appeals in November 2006. Justice Keller has served on the Judicial Conduct Commission, was Chairperson of the Court of Justice's Technology Governance Committee, and is currently Chairperson of the Kentucky Access to Justice Commission and Criminal Rules Committee.
Prior to her service on the bench, Justice Keller practiced law for 17 years. She served as an Assistant County Attorney for her home county of Kenton. Her private practice concentrated in the areas of medical negligence and product liability defense, personal injury, family law, and criminal defense. Justice Keller also practiced administrative law, representing numerous clients before state regulatory and licensure boards. She is Chairwoman Emeritus of the Kentucky Personnel Board and has served as a hearing officer and member of that Board. Justice Keller is licensed to practice law in Kentucky, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the Honorary Order of Kentucky Colonels and has twice been commended by the Kentucky House of Representatives for her service to the Commonwealth.
Justice Keller attended Northern Kentucky University's Chase College of Law while working as a licensed registered nurse in critical care. At Chase, Justice Keller was an IOLTA Scholar, earning her Juris Doctor in 1990. Chase presented Justice Keller with both the Chase Excellence and Chase Exceptional Service Awards in 2007 and 2011, respectively.
Additionally, Justice Keller was named a 2012 Outstanding Woman of Northern Kentucky honoree. In 2013 she received the Richard D. Lawrence Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Northern Kentucky Bar Association (“NKBA"). Justice Keller was honored in 2014 with the Liberty Bell Award for her service to the Court of Justice, and in 2016 she was inducted into the Lloyd Memorial High School Alumni Hall of Fame. In December 2017, Justice Keller was the first woman presented with the Distinguished Lawyer of the Year Award by the NKBA. The Kentucky Bar Association (“KBA") honored Justice Keller with the 2020 Distinguished Judge Award. She was recently presented the 2024 Justice For All Award by the Northern Kentucky Volunteer Lawyers, was honored as a 2024 Phenomenal Woman by the New Beginning Community Church Women's Ministry, and received the 2024 Fair Administration of Justice Award from the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Justice Keller has served in various positions for the NKBA, KBA, and the American Bar Association. In 2009, she received the KBA's Donated Legal Services Award for her commitment to Pro Bono service and support of Kentucky's legal services organizations. She is a Master in the Salmon P. Chase Inn of Court and served as President of the Inn from 2012-13. Justice Keller is also a Fellow of both the American and Kentucky Bar Foundations.
A lifelong Northern Kentuckian, Justice Keller and her husband, Jim, a physician, are the proud parents of two adult daughters. One serves as a public health practitioner and the other is a practicing attorney.