Image: Justice Marla Luckert/Image courtesy of Kansas Courts

Justice Marla Luckert announced she will retire from the Kansas Supreme Court on March 28, ending 23 years of service. Earlier this year, she stepped down as chief justice but remained on the court to complete cases she had heard.

In a letter to Governor Laura Kelly, Luckert thanked the people of Kansas for retaining her as a judge and justice, and expressed gratitude to retired Governors Bill Graves and Joan Finney for appointing her to those roles.

In a December video message to Kansas courts and the public, Luckert reflected on her career, the role of the judiciary, and the progress and challenges she encountered while serving as chief justice from December 2019 through December 2025. Luckert earned both her bachelor’s degree in history and her law degree from Washburn University School of Law. After 12 years in private practice, she was appointed a district judge for the 3rd Judicial District in 1992 and later served three years as the district’s chief judge, becoming the first woman in Kansas to hold that position. She joined the Kansas Supreme Court in 2003.