2006 Hall of Fame Inductee Julia Kurtz Tackett Class of 1971

Judge Julia Kurtz Tackett is the longest serving female judge in Kentucky, has broken many gender barriers and has been a role model and mentor for countless attorneys. She served on the Kentucky Court of Appeals until June 1, 2006, when she retired ending a notable career in the law. Judge Tackett was the first female prosecutor- state or federal- in Kentucky. She is the first woman to serve as judge in the Eastern District of Kentucky. She was also the first woman to serve as President of the Kentucky Bar Association Young Lawyers Section. 

Before election to the Court of Appeals in 1999, Judge Tackett served in six consecutive terms as district judge. Prior to that, she served as Fayette County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, federal public defender for the Eastern District, and law clerk for the Chief Justice of the then Court of Appeals (now Supreme Court). Judge Tackett has served her local community and the Commonwealth in a wide variety of leadership roles over the years. She currently serves on the Board of Advisors of the Lexington Public Library and has served on the boards of the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival, Kentucky Educational Television and United Cerebral Palsy of the Bluegrass. At the University of Kentucky, Tackett has served as a University Trustee is past president of the UK National Alumni Association has served on the College of Law’s Visiting Committee and has served as an adjunct instructor at the College.