Laurance B. VanMeter

Laurance Browning VanMeter (born August 28, 1958) is an American lawyer who served as the chief justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court from 2023 to 2025. He was elected to the court in 2016.

Early life and education

VanMeter was born in 1958 in Lexington, Kentucky, and was raised in Winchester. He earned his undergraduate degree in history from Vanderbilt University in 1980 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1983.

Career VanMeter practiced law with the firm of Stoll, Keenon & Park from 1983 to 1994. From 1994 to 1999, he was district court judge for Division 1 of the 22nd Judicial District, serving Fayette County. In 1999, he was appointed to the Fayette County Circuit Court bench, where he served until his election to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. He was named as acting Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals in 2010. He faced off against fellow Appeals Court Judge Glenn Acree on November 8, 2016, and won 74% of the vote. He began his term as a justice of the Supreme Court on January, 2017.

In November 2022, he was elected to serve as chief justice following the retirement of John D. Minton Jr. His term as chief justice began on January 2, 2023.

Personal life VanMeter was previously married to Lucy Elliot Bryans before her death in 2010; the two had four children together. In August 2017, he married Lucy Ferguson, who is currently a judge of the Fayette County Circuit Court.

He is a registered Republican, and member of the Federalist Society.