Honoring Justice William E. McAnulty, Jr.

Members of the Louisville bench and bar recently gathered at the University of Louisville School of Law to pay tribute to the first African-American to sit on the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Justice William E. McAnulty, Jr. was a 1974 graduate of Louisville Law and was appointed to the Supreme Court 2006. He died of cancer in 2007.

On October 8, 2017 — what would have been Justice McAnulty's 70th birthday — friends and family gathered for a memorial softball game and fundraiser. Some of the funds raised at that event were used to purchase a bench that now sits in front of the law school. 

Almost exactly one year later — October 7, 2018 — the justice's supporters again gathered, this time to officially dedicate the bench and share reflections of the justice's life and impact.

Those who offered remembrances were:

• The Honorable Joseph E. Lambert, Chief Justice, Kentucky Supreme Court, retired
• The Honorable Denise G. Clayton, Chief Judge, Kentucky Court of Appeals
• The Honorable Lisabeth Hughes, Deputy Chief Justice, Kentucky Supreme Court
• Eric Ison, Senior Partner, Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP

Dr. Katheryn G. McAnulty, the justice's daughter, led the formal dedication.

The Honorable Joseph E. Lambert, Chief Justice, Kentucky Supreme Court, retired		The Honorable Denise G. Clayton, Chief Judge, Kentucky Court of Appeals

The Honorable Lisabeth Hughes, Deputy Chief Justice, Kentucky Supreme Court		Eric Ison, Senior Partner, Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP