The public is invited to a retirement reception honoring District Court Judge Kay Huff. The reception will be from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 7, in the historic County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. in the County Commission meeting room on the second floor.

The Honorable Judge Kay Huff, of the Seventh Judicial District, is retiring July 8. Huff hears felony criminal cases and major civil cases including tort, contract, property and administrative matters.

In addition to her regular judicial duties, Huff has presided over Douglas County Drug Court since it was launched in January 2020. Drug Court is a 14-month program for adults who have been arrested and charged with a non-violent felony offense and are having difficulty staying substance free. If participants successfully complete the program, charges are dismissed.

Huff was appointed by former Governor Mark Parkinson on December 10, 2010. She was retained in 2012, 2016 and 2020.  

Huff earned a B.A. from Reed College and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She was admitted to practice in Washington State, New York and Kansas. She has lived in Lawrence since 1988 and had a solo law practice for many years before serving as a judge. While in private practice, Huff also worked part-time as a clinical professor for the Defender Project at the University of Kansas School of Law. In 2019, she was temporarily appointed to sit with the Kansas Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in four cases.

“I very much appreciate the privilege of serving as a judge. I have found the work meaningful and challenging,” she said. “I will miss the camaraderie of colleagues. I thank the staff for their dedication and grit over the years, but particularly during the pandemic.”