TOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court met in a special session at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, to formally swear in K. Christopher Jayaram as the court’s newest justice.

Chief Justice Eric Rosen presided over the ceremony, which was livestreamed on the Supreme Court YouTube channel at youtube.com/@KansasSupremeCourt.

At the ceremony, before an audience of family, friends, and colleagues, Jayaram repeated his affirmation to uphold the oath of his office. He previously affirmed the oath in an informal ceremony on Aug. 3, which allowed him to begin his new role while plans for the formal swearing-in ceremony were finalized.

Jayaram was introduced by his wife, Denice, and District Judge Kelly Ryan, 10th Judicial District.

Appointment to Supreme Court

Jayaram was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Laura Kelly to fill a vacancy created when former Chief Justice Marla Luckert retired March 28.

Jayaram is the 83rd justice on the court since Kansas became a state.

Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, Jayaram served as a district judge in the 10th Judicial District, which is Johnson County. He was appointed to that role in 2021.

Before becoming a judge, Jayaram was in private practice with Horn Aylward & Bandy, LLC of Kansas City, Mo., and Smith, Freed, Heald, & Chock, PC, of Portland, Ore.

Early life

Jayaram said his parents met while both were working at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. His father was a doctor and his mother was a nurse originally from Fredonia.

Jayaram said the power of education and public service were ever-present but never overtly stressed by his parents to him and his younger siblings.

“They showed us by example the importance of knowing and understanding the world that we live in and serving your community,” he said.

After the last of her children had grown up and moved out, Jayaram’s mother went back to school and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees to be a social worker in Kansas City school districts.

Jayaram and his siblings took their parents’ lessons to heart. Jayaram’s sister is a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Mercy, and his brother is an anthropology professor at the University of South Florida.

Choosing a career

Jayaram pursued his interest in science and graduated from the University of Kansas in 1993 with a degree in environmental science. He then moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the Environmental Protection Agency in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.

Jayaram said that it was during this time that his legal career came into focus.

“I began to really think about, ‘What am I going to do with the rest of my life?’” he said. “I was in speech and debate in high school and felt I might be well-suited to a legal career, but we also have a long line of physicians in my family, so I ended up choosing between law and medicine.”

Jayaram’s science background led him to apply to schools known for their environmental law programs, ultimately choosing Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College, in Portland, Ore.

Jayaram earned his law degree from Lewis and Clark in 1997 and worked in private practice for two years in Portland. In 1999, he married his wife, Denice, whom he met in law school and is also an attorney. Shortly after their wedding they decided to move back to the Midwest, settling in Kansas City.

As an attorney, Jayaram has represented clients in court and often participated in alternative dispute resolution on his cases with a mediator, a neutral person who helps opposing parties in a legal dispute reach a mutually accepted agreement without going to court.

After many years in private practice, Jayaram said he had reached another decision point in his life.

“As much as I loved being a trial lawyer and representing clients, I felt like the arbitration and mediation aspects of my practice were more satisfying,” he said.

That process saw the mediator helping both sides reach a fair outcome. In doing so, it required Jayaram to objectively and independently evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the case — on both sides — so he could effectively advocate for his clients during the process. That objective evaluative process, like that of a judicial role, resonated with him.

So Jayaram began applying to fill judicial vacancies as they came up in the 10th Judicial District. After several times being part of the final group whose names are sent to the governor, he was eventually selected in 2020 and began serving in 2021.

District Judge

Jayaram began as a family court judge and was rewarded with the opportunity to learn about areas of law he didn’t cover in private practice.

“I was quickly impressed by how domestic cases involve so many areas of law,” he said. “You not only have to know the domestic law statutes, including divorce, paternity, protection from abuse and others, but you also have to understand tax, real estate, personal injury, business, and so many other areas of law.”

Jayaram also said the cases appealed to his love of problem solving and of helping children.

“A judge can really make a difference for kids forced into a bad situation through no action of their own,” he said. “You try to figure out a solution, and when you find the right one and see benefit to them, you feel like you’ve done something good.”

Jayaram said he was most surprised by something he rarely saw as an attorney. “I never anticipated the large number of self-represented litigants at the district court level,” he said. “You can know it’s a reality, but it’s different seeing it firsthand every day.”

Supreme Court

Jayaram said joining the Supreme Court wasn’t on his radar because he thought serving as a district judge might be the last job he’d ever have.

“Being a judge was something I loved doing every day and was passionate about,” he said. “As a district judge you are connected to the community, the people in your court, your colleagues, and the court staff.”

But several people began to suggest to him that he should consider the appellate courts.

“Those suggestions opened the door to thinking about it,” he said. “I realized it could be something that’s even more rewarding and a way to serve more people in a broader way.”

Jayaram said he is looking forward to collaborating with the other justices on cases and finding answers, even though it will be a change from his previous role.

“At the district court level, I got to do what I ultimately thought best,” he said. “I’d read the case files, listen to the evidence and argument, figure out what I thought was the right legal answer from my perspective, and then write it up.”

Now Jayaram will see what happens when someone disagrees with those district court decisions.

“I look forward to discussing cases and reviewing the trial court record from a different perspective and as a group,” he said. Jayaram said the appellate courts also appeal to his interest in public service through speaking to community groups and students as part of the Supreme Court travel dockets.

“There are wonderful opportunities for us to foster and promote civic education for our next generation of leaders and engaged citizens,” he said.