Democratic AG candidate in Kentucky not licensed to practice law in the state

A Democratic lawmaker seeking to become Kentucky's next attorney general does not have a license to practice law in the state.

Democratic state Rep. Pamela Stevenson is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association and was first admitted in 1984 after graduating from Indiana University School of Law, according to the Washington Examiner. Her campaign has stated that she passed an ethics test to join the Kentucky Bar Association and will be admitted in August.

Candidates for attorney general must be at least 30 years old, have been a resident citizen of the state for at least 2 years before the election, and have been a practicing lawyer for at least eight years prior to that, the state Board of Elections states.

Those eight years practicing law do not appear to need to be in Kentucky, however. So, assuming Stevenson secures admission to the Kentucky Bar Association in time, she will presumably remain eligible to serve. 

The revelation, however, will undoubtedly serve as campaign ammunition for her Republican opponent, Russell Coleman, the former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.

Sean Southard, a spokesman for the state GOP, told the Examiner that Stevenson's campaign is "deceiving voters and making a mockery of Kentucky’s legal system."

"Pamela Stevenson is running around Kentucky saying she will be the 'People’s Lawyer'," he continued. "She left out the 'people' she’s talking about will have to live in Indiana. One of two things must be true: Either she cannot practice law in Kentucky or she is a criminal who is practicing law without a license. Either way, she is the most unqualified candidate to ever run for this office."

Stevenson and Coleman will face off in the November general election to replace outgoing Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who is running for governor.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.