Catherine "Kitty" (Dick) Kimball was born in 1945, at a time when it was rare for a woman to even think of going to law school. Despite this, she went on to attend and complete law school at LSU, even though she had no intention of practicing law. She discovered, however, that she did not enjoy sitting at home with children, and so she secured a clerkship with a federal judge.
In a few years she had her own practice in New Roads, and was also an Assistant District Attorney. She took every type of case that came in the door, and became well acquainted with the local bar. They convinced her to run for a judgeship. Catherine Kimball won, and became the first female judge in the 18th Judicial Circuit. She eventually became Chief Judge of that circuit.
Friends at the bar convinced her to run for the Louisiana Supreme Court. She won the election, and became the first woman to sit on the court. When Chief Judge Calogero retired, Justice Kimball became the first female Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
"It has been suggested to me that I tell you about my vision for the judiciary, and so I shall. It is really quite simple. I would envision a judiciary with competent, hardworking judges of integrity, who treat all within their purview with kindness fairness and respect and who require that same treatment by his or her employees and of the attorneys who appear before the court. I envision a judiciary that is recognized by our state and nation as having those qualities. I envision a judiciary that handles its work efficiently, timely and appropriately, and cares as deeply about the disposition of a child abuse, a juvenile or a custody case as it does about a high-profile, multimillion-dollar lawsuit."
"As Chief Justice, my first commitment to you, the citizens of Louisiana, is to do my best to make the vision of a competent, caring state judiciary a reality. And I believe that working together we can accomplish this goal."
