Denise Clayton at a glance
- Current role
- Former Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Kentucky · State
- Judicial service
- Former
Denise Clayton
Former Judge · Kentucky Court of Appeals
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2007-present
- 2007–2023 – Judge on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, 4th Division (Division 2), appointed by Governor Ernie Fletcher in 2007
- Denise G. Clayton served on the Kentucky Court of Appeals from 2007 through 2023 and served as chief judge from 2019 through 2022
- 2018–2022 – held the role of Chief Judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
- 1996–2007 – Served in District, Family, and Drug Court in Jefferson County, later becoming Chief Circuit Judge and Chief Regional Judge for the Metro Region
- 1996 – Appointed as the first African American woman circuit judge in Kentucky for the 30th Judicial Circuit, Division 7
- Judge Clayton chaired the Jefferson County Racial Fairness Commission and helped develop the Community Listening Session program to engage citizens in judicial issues
- Also a mediator with the Retired Judges Mediation and Arbitration Services and in the Kentucky Court of Justice’s felony mediation program
- She also maintained a private law practice LexNAACP
- Judge Clayton’s career marked significant milestones in Kentucky’s judicial history, breaking racial and gender barriers at both the trial and appellate levels, and she remains recognized for her contributions to justice, community engagement, and professional excellence
- Denise G. Clayton is a retired Kentucky judge best known as the first African American woman to serve on the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the first African American woman to serve as a Kentucky Circuit Court judge
Education
- Defiance College — B.A.
- Bachelor’s degree from Defiance College and her J.D. from the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law.
Additional information
- 2012 Distinguished Judge of the Year Award (Kentucky Bar Association)
- Judge, 2006-2006
- Judge Clayton was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1952.
- Judge Denise G. Clayton | LexNAACP Prior to her judicial service, Judge Clayton maintained a private law practice and had worked as an attorney for the Internal Revenue Service, the University of Louisville Student Legal Services office, and the Legal Aid Society.
- Before joining the judiciary, Clayton worked as an attorney for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, held the role of director of student legal services at the University of Louisville, and was associate director of the Legal Aid Society of Louisville.
- Justice William McAnulty Trailblazer Award (Louisville Bar Association)
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
Kentucky Court of Justice publishes statewide instructions for using Zoom to participate in remote court proceedings.
This page provides general instructions about how to use Zoom to participate in a remote court proceeding.Kentucky Court of Justice: Remote Court General Instructions ↗
Statewide
Kentucky identifies Zoom as a platform that supports video, voice, and content sharing for desktops, mobile devices, phones, and room systems.
Zoom is a videoconferencing platform that offers video, voice and content sharing for desktops, mobile devices, phones and room systems.Kentucky Court of Justice: Remote Court General Instructions ↗
County Login Information
Statewide
Kentucky directs parties to obtain specific remote-court login information from the circuit court clerk for the county where they are scheduled to appear.
To request specific login information for your court event, contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in the county in which you are scheduled to appear.Kentucky Court of Justice: Remote Court General Instructions ↗
Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Court of Appeals of Kentucky current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Court of Appeals of Kentucky current judicial profile ↗Kentucky Court of Justice: Remote Court General Instructions
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Kentucky Court of Justice: Remote Court General Instructions ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Judge Denise Clayton: Chief Judge, KY Court of Appeals | Frazier Kentucky History Museum
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Judge Denise Clayton: Chief Judge, KY Court of Appeals | Frazier Kentucky History Museum ↗The Honorable Judge Denise G. Clayton | LexNAACP
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View The Honorable Judge Denise G. Clayton | LexNAACP ↗