Chief Justice Minton named to lead two national court organizations

Chief Justice Minton named to lead two national court organizations

(Williamsburg, VA) July 27, 2016 – Kentucky Chief Justice John D. Minton, Jr. has been elected president of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and chair of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Board of Directors. The one-year positions became effective this week during CCJ’s annual conference and NCSC’s Board of Directors meetings in Wyoming.

Founded in 1949 and comprised of the top judicial officers of each state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, CCJ promotes the interests and effectiveness of state judicial systems by developing policies and educational programs designed to improve court operations. CCJ also acts as the primary representative of the state courts before Congress and federal executive agencies.

“Chief Justice Minton has earned a national reputation as a strong and effective leader who is committed to improving the justice system,” NCSC President Mary C. McQueen said. “He stabilized his state’s court budget and successfully worked to help reform Kentucky’s penal code and improve public safety. We will all benefit from his leadership.”

Chief Justice Minton was first elected to his position in 2008 as the national recession put Kentucky into economic crisis. Chief Justice Minton worked tirelessly to maintain and ensure access to justice to the people of Kentucky. He invested in court technology that reduced costs and delivered improved service. His efforts resulted in a stronger, more efficient, and leaner court system. Chief Justice Minton’s fellow justices recently elected him to a third four-year term.

“People across the country depend on a fair and independent judiciary,” Chief Justice Minton said. “The opportunity to work with my fellow chief justices to positively change our state courts is an honor and one of the highlights of my career. I want to spend the next year looking at how we can address access to justice for people who can’t afford an attorney, how the practice of law can adapt to changes in society and how we can work with our communities on the issues that erode trust in the justice system.”

Under Chief Justice Minton’s leadership, Kentucky’s Administrative Office of the Courts has streamlined its organizational structure, overhauled the judicial branch’s salary scale for the first time in decades, and is on track to implement e-filing statewide. His contributions to the Kentucky legal procedure and public policy include the Supreme Court’s adoption of the state’s first uniform family law rules and the creation of the Kentucky Access to Justice Commission.

As a long-standing member of CCJ, Chief Justice Minton has served on the joint CCJ/COSCA Court Management and Problem-Solving Courts committees. In addition, he has served on the board of the Council of State Governments (CSG) and is a 2010 alumnus of CSG’s prestigious Toll Fellowship Program, one of the nation’s top leadership development programs for state government officials.

The Kentucky Bar Association presented Chief Justice Minton the Outstanding Judge Award in 2003 and he was named Distinguished Jurist in 2012 by the University of Kentucky College of Law Alumni Association. He was inducted into the Western Kentucky University Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2013.

Prior to his position as chief justice, he worked in private practice and served as a Circuit Court and Court of Appeals judge.

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.