Lisabeth Hughes Abramson
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Lisabeth Hughes Abramson is an associate justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court. She was sworn in as a justice of the court on Sept. 10, 2007, after being appointed by then-governor Ernie Fletcher, a Republican, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the late Justice William E. McAnulty, Jr. She represents Jefferson County, which is the state's 4th Supreme Court district.
Justice Abramson then successfully ran for re-election on November 4, 2008 against challenger Jim Shake. She won 55% of the vote to retain her seat. She will now serve an eight-year term that expires in 2016.[1]
Legal background
Justice Abramson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville, graduating in 1977 with highest honors. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Louisville School of Law in 1980 and was named the Outstanding Graduate of her law school class. Before serving as a judge, she practiced law for 15 years, concentrating on business and commercial litigation.
Justice Abramson comes to the state's highest court after serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals for the second time in her career. She was appointed on June 30, 2006, to fill a vacancy in Division 2 of the 4th Appellate District and subsequently elected to that position in November 2006. She first served as a Court of Appeals judge from 1997 to 1998, following an appointment by then Governor Paul Patton.
From January 1999 until her 2006 appointment to the Court of Appeals, Justice Abramson served as a circuit judge for the 30th Judicial Circuit, which consists of Jefferson County.
Associations
Justice Abramson currently serves as immediate past president of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law Alumni Council and is a member of the American, Kentucky and Louisville Bar Associations. She also serves as a trustee for the Kentucky Judicial Form Retirement System Board and is a frequent lecturer for the Kentucky Circuit Judges Judicial College. She is a member of the Leadership Louisville Class of 2007.
2008 re-election campaign
Abramson is up for re-election on November 4, 2008. Her challenger is Jefferson County Circuit judge Jim Shake.
Louisville Bar Association rankings
744 members of the Louisville Bar Association rated the two candidates, responding for each candidate either "highly qualified", "qualified", "unqualified", "do not know" or "not rated".[2],[3]
| Candidate | Highly qualified | Qualified | Not qualified | Do not know | Not rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisabeth Hughes Abramson | 65.7% | 18.3% | 2.2% | 8.6% | 5.2% |
| Jim Shake | 58.7% | 28.6% | 2.6% | 5.5% | 4.6% |
October 22 forum
The Louisville Lawyers' Chapter of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is hosting a candidates forum for Abramson and Shake on Wednesday, Octo will host a judicial forum for candidates for the Supreme Court of Kentucky on Wednesday, October 22 in Louisville. University of Kentucky law professor Paul Salamanca will moderate the panel.[4]
Endorsements
Abramson has received endorsements from the Teamsters Local Union 89, the Jefferson County Teachers Association, and Citizens for Better Judges[5]
Notable rulings
Dad's paternity dissent
Justice Abramson is one of three justices that dissented from the Kentucky Supreme Court's 4-3 decision to deny a biological father access to his son. Justice Abramson said the majority was wrong in their assertion that the boy in question is better off not knowing who is father is, until a time appointed by his mother and her husband. "Our world is full of inconvenient truths. We accomplish nothing for families, the broader community and our justice system when we deny those truths." she wrote.[6]
External links
- What's a father? Ky. Supreme Court has its say
- Ky. lawyers, judges discuss how to prevent wrongdoing among attorneys
- McAnulty favorite takes his seat as justice
- On the Bench: An Interview with Judge Lisabeth Hughes Abramson
- Keep Justice Abramson Web-page
- Abramson Biography
References
- ↑ Abramson retains Supreme Court seat
- ↑ Kentucky Bar Association 2008 judicial candidate poll results
- ↑ Know a judge, ask an attorney, September 24, 2008
- ↑ Musings of a Bluegrass Barrister, "Mark your calendars", September 20, 2008
- ↑ Abramson's Endorsements
- ↑ Time:Despite DNA, Dad's Paternity Denied
