Judge Tara Hagerty served as a Jefferson Circuit Family Court Judge from January 2015 through May 2023. Family Court jurisdiction includes cases regarding Domestic Violence, Child Abuse/Neglect, Paternity and Child Support, Divorce and Child Custody and visitation issues.Prior to joining the bench, Judge Hagerty served as an Assistant Jefferson County Attorney practicing in Family Court; as a court appointed counsel for parents in Dependency matters; in the legal department for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services; and as an attorney with the Jefferson District Public Defender’s Office in Juvenile Court. In addition, Judge Hagerty served as District of Columbia Assistant Corporation Counsel in the DC Juvenile Court and as a staff member for the United States Senate Rules and Administration Committee.Judge Hagerty served on the Court Appointed Special Advocates Board of Directors and the MB Care Board of Directors (a joint venture of USPIRITUS and Maryhurst), and was appointed by the Governor to serve two terms on the Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Board of Directors. Judge Hagerty also served as chair of the Family Law Section of the Louisville Bar Association (LBA) and was named LBA Family Law Practitioner of the Year in 2013.Judge Hagerty has been honored to receive recognition as Member of the Year from the Jefferson County Women Lawyers’ Association in 2019 and the Louisville Bar Association Judge of the Year in 2020. She has served as a Master in the Brandeis Inn of Court.Judge Hagerty graduated from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in 1993. She obtained her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Louisville in 1990, where she served as Student Government Association President and the student member of the University Board of Trustees.
Licensed to practice law in 2010, Chelsea earned her Certificate in Divorce and Family Mediation from Northwestern University early in her career, driven by a long-standing interest in alternative dispute resolution. She spent the next decade building a robust legal foundation in New York City and Chicago, specializing in commercial litigation and practicing across various other legal fields.Now back in her hometown of Louisville, Chelsea has transitioned to a full-time mediation practice—a professional goal since her initial certification. She currently assists Judge Hagerty with Family mediations and takes private clients, leveraging her deep litigation background to facilitate effective, practical resolutions.
