Professional Career

Julie Scott Jernigan began teaching after receiving an emergency teaching certificate while in college, attending her own classes in the evening. During her senior year of undergraduate studies, Julie joined the law firm of Ackman, Purcel & Lorenz in Williamstown, working as a legal secretary. After graduating from Georgetown College and Chase College of Law, she continued with Ackman, Purcell & Lorenz.

After gaining experience as a law clerk for an insurance company, a tax firm, and the Law Office of Harry Hellings, Julie worked with Harry Hellings as an attorney in 2004. She then joined the Public Defender's office in 2006. Practicing exclusively in Carroll County, Julie served as the sole public defender in juvenile, district and circuit courts. She then moved back to Grant County in Corinth, Kentucky and joined the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General in 2008, working on death penalty and major felony cases.  She was assigned many cases regarding dometic violence, physical and sexual assault, and prosecuted child murders throughout Kentucky.  She worked closely with the victims' families to ensure their voices were heard and still maintains contact with some of the families she met there. Shortly after her son’s birth, she decided to take her training and experience back to her hometown and began working part time in Williamstown at the Grant County Attorney's Office. 

For the next five and a half years, Julie prosecuted hundreds of cases of child abuse and neglect as well as managing the Grant County Child Support Office. She left that position in January 2019, and resigned from the Attorney General's office in August 2019. 

She spent the next 2 years attempting to establish the now-defunct CASA of Carroll, Grant and Owen Counties, an organization that advocated for children in foster care. 

Since January 2022, Julie has worked as a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem, representing families and children in Carroll, Grant, and Owen Counties involved in child abuse and neglect cases.