About Julie

Julie Scott Jernigan is a 6th-generation farmer on her 134-acre farm in Williamstown, Kentucky, purchased from her grandmother, Utha Tebelman Simpson. Julie graduated from Grant County High School in 1996 and headed straight to Georgetown College, intending to pursue a career in teaching. After teaching for two years, Julie decided she could help children more effectively as an attorney. Upon graduating with honors in 2000, Julie began attending Chase College of Law at night. She passed the bar in 2004. She takes great pride in tilling the same land as her great-great-grandparents and continuing her connection to the farm. Julie works hard to be as self-sufficient as possible, independent of grocery stores. She even makes her own soap!

Her house is always busy and she’s got plenty of company. Her pride and joy is her 12-year-old son, Reid. Three dogs keep them entertained: Kwazi the dapper old gentleman, Cutie the little sister, and Bear the loveable but dense baby. Highlights from Bear include trying to eat a tractor tire while it was still moving!

The fun isn’t just in the house. Princess Leia, the 9-month-old dairy calf, shares her barn with 6 chickens, and 3 cats - Maura, Kylo, and Vader. The cats came to Julie from the Grant County Animal Shelter at just three weeks old. Julie fosters animals for the Grant County Animal Shelter and has adopted 5 total cats, but Tiny and Ruby are house cats. Ruby was originally a stray, who is cross-eyed and has no depth perception and Julie bottle fed Tiny, receiving him from the shelter when he was just a few hours old. 

When she’s not on the farm or in the courtroom, she teaches at Gateway Technical School and NKU. This fall, she’ll teach Legal Ethics, Intro to Justice, and Race, Gender, and Law & Evidence. She also serves on Gateway’s Advisory Council for the Justice Department. Julie comes from a long line of teachers, so you could say it’s in her blood! Her mom, Sheila Simpson Scott is a retired math teacher from Grant County Middle School.

In her spare time, Julie has deep roots in her community. She’s a member of the Williamstown Kiwanis, the Williamstown Women's Club, Grant County Chamber of Commerce, the Grant County Beekeeping Club, and attends Grassy Run Baptist Church. She’s also the secretary of the Williamstown #301 Eastern Star. She volunteers with her son’s school, when time and COVID regulations allow. Additionally, she donates her time and expertise to several churches, domestic violence victims, and the Sadieville Police Department. 

Julie also enjoys reading, sweet tea, crochet, sci-fi or historical movies, and baking - her pies and bread are fantastic, but don’t ask her to fry a chicken! She’s a certified scuba diver and a certified family herbalist. She loves the outdoors and fixing things with her own hands. She loves to travel and wants to visit every national park someday. She likes the color green, animals, and history. She is, however, completely terrified of snakes.

Her grandma Utha is her hero, her grandma Louise is her inspiration, and her son Reid is her motivation.