TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today appointed Judge K. Christopher Jayaram to the Kansas Supreme Court. Jayaram will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Justice Marla Luckert.
“Appointing a Kansas Supreme Court justice is a significant responsibility, and it is a decision I never make lightly,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “It is paramount that justices have deep understanding of the law and ability to apply it fairly, as they weigh many nuanced, complicated situations that have wide-ranging impacts on our state every day.”
“Kansas’ nomination process for selecting Supreme Court justices is rigorous and consistently produces highly qualified nominees thanks to input from both attorneys and laypeople across our state. Each of the nominees were exceptional, and I appreciate their service to our state.
“Judge Jayaram has extensive experience as a trial attorney and on the bench, which makes him well-qualified and well-prepared to step into this role as the next Kansas Supreme Court justice. I am confident that he will be a steady voice that upholds the rule of law and acts with the utmost degree of impartiality.”
Jayaram has served as a District Court Judge in Johnson County District Court since 2021. His initial assignment was as a Family Court judge, where he adjudicated matters related to divorce involving minor children, annulment requests, parentage determinations, protection from abuse and stalking cases, and third-party visitation claims. He currently presides over civil disputes as a judge in the Civil Department.
Prior to his time on the bench, Jayaram was an attorney with both the Horn, Aylward & Bandy and Smith, Freed, Heald & Chock law firms, where he practiced as a civil litigation attorney. His areas of practice included complex commercial/business litigation, product liability litigation, professional and health care provider liability matters, and transportation-related issues.
Jayaram earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Science from the University of Kansas and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where he was an Associate Editor of the school’s primary law review publication, Environmental Law.
Jayaram has been heavily involved in legal community as a faculty member at the National Judicial College, a member of the American Judges Association, the American Bar Association, and the Johnson County Bar Association. He also served as a trustee of the Johnson County Bar Foundation, a member of the Earl E. O’Conner American Inns of Courts, the Johnson County Family Law American Inns of Court, and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association. Beyond legal organizations, he is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the United Soccer Coaches.
In addition to his professional activities, Jayaram is involved in his community by serving as a competitive youth soccer coach for Toca FC and is a member of the Saint Thomas the Apostle’s Episcopal Church in Olathe.
“I am profoundly honored and humbled to have been selected from the group of incredibly distinguished and capable applicants for this position on the Kansas Supreme Court,” said Judge K. Christopher Jayaram. “I look forward to completing my work at the District Court over the coming days and joining my new colleagues at the Supreme Court thereafter. As I did at the District Court, I pledge to serve all Kansans in this new role through the fair, just, and impartial application of the law to cases that come before the Supreme Court.”
“There are big ‘shoes’ to fill, following the retirement of Chief Justice Luckert, and I will strive to live up to the legacy she leaves behind. I am grateful to my family, my friends, Governor Kelly, the Nominating Commission, and my colleagues on the District Court bench, as I begin this new role.”
Kansas Supreme Court Justices are appointed through a merit-based nomination process. When there is a vacancy on the court, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission submits the names of three nominees to the governor. The governor then has 60 days to make the appointment.
The Supreme Court Nominating Commission is an independent body created by the Kansas Constitution consisting of nine members. Four of its members are appointed by the governor from each of the state’s four congressional districts. These appointees are laypeople. Four other members are attorneys elected by attorneys in each of the state’s congressional districts. The commission chair is an attorney elected by attorneys in a statewide vote.
To be eligible, a nominee must be at least 30 years old and admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least 10 years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.
Every justice must stand for a retention vote in the general election following their initial appointment. If retained by voters at that time, they then face retention votes every six years for as long as they serve on the bench.
