Judge Derwin Webb

Deputy Chief Judge Derwin L. Webb is the first African-American male Family Court Judge elected to serve in the history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  A first-generation attorney, Webb was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, but later moved to Louisville where he has lived for more than twenty-five years.  A former standout basketball player at the University of Louisville for Hall of Fame basketball coach Denny Crum, Webb was a captain his senior year, and earned the respect of his peers both on and off the basketball court.

As an undergraduate, he was elected as a senator in the Student Government Association.  In this role he represented the interests of the student population and discovered the importance of public service.  During this period, he joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated in 1990 to continue his service in the community. After receiving his B.S. in Political Science, he attended the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville.  Upon graduation, he began his legal career with the prestigious law firm, Stites & Harbison, where he learned all aspects of business and corporate law.

After stints in the corporate world, Derwin returned to his roots, his “legal” roots, opening the Webb Law Offices, where he quickly earned the reputation as one of the hardest working young defense attorneys in Kentucky and Indiana.  He represented the interests of several high-profile cases throughout both states, fighting for the rights of individuals that needed assistance as private counsel and in his capacity as a public defender in Clark & Floyd County Indiana. During a portion of this time he also served as the chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Louisville Bar Association, and served as a panelist in several conferences within the region discussing issues equality and individual rights of citizens.

After actively and consistently representing clients for close to twenty (20) years, he was appointed to preside over the Jefferson County Circuit Court, Family Division 10, the same courtroom where he served as a parent’s attorney for nearly a decade. Along with his normal day-to-day duties, he has presided over Truancy Court, Teen Court, and Family Recovery Court. He also serves as the chair of the Status Offender Subcommittee, and as co-chair of the Adoption Subcommittee.