2019 Hall of Fame Inductee Mary C. Noble Class of 1981

Justice Mary C. Noble received her B.S. in English in 1971 and M.A. in Psychology in 1974, both from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1981.

Justice Noble began her legal career with Bryan and Fogle, in Mt. Sterling, KY.  Thereafter, she started her own firm in Lexington, KY, practicing school law, personal injury, and criminal defense.

In 1989, Justice Noble was appointed Domestic Relations Commissioner for the Third Division of Fayette Circuit Court.  She was then elected as Fayette Circuit Judge for the Fifth Division of Fayette Circuit Court until 2006, when she was elected to the Kentucky Supreme Court, Fifth District. She retired from her role in December 2016.

While a Fayette Circuit Judge, Justice Noble made history as the first two-term, female Chief Judge in Fayette Circuit Court, one of the state’s original circuit courts. In her role as Chief Judge, she oversaw the construction of the Robert F. Stephens Courthouses and the subsequent move to the new Courthouses; and co-founded the Court of Justice Drug Court Program, which is now a statewide program.  Justice Noble also served on the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and is a member of its Hall of Fame. She was appointed to and served on numerous committees and boards related to the Court of Justice during her tenure as Circuit Judge.

During her ten-year service on the Kentucky Supreme Court, she was the first women to serve as Deputy Chief Justice and the first woman to preside over an oral argument before the Court.  She also chaired the Family Court and Juvenile Court Rules Committees, which drafted Kentucky’s first procedural rules for both Courts.  Justice Noble is the recipient of numerous awards for her judicial service. 

Currently, Justice Noble is a partner at Noble Tate Neutrals, an alternative dispute resolution practice. She also consults on various legal matters.