WJA 2023: Kimberly J. Carter

Attorney at Law, Caruthersville

For 16 years, Kimberly Carter was a probation and parole officer for the Missouri Division of Probation and Parole in Kennett. She supervised the community supervision center where offenders on probation came to get back on track so they wouldn’t go to prison. Her husband, William, was the prosecuting attorney in their county.

“My husband encouraged me to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and I did,” Carter says. “I left my 16-year career and went to be the old lady in the law school classes. I loved every minute!” She earned her JD from the University of Memphis and then worked as an attorney for five years in a Caruthersville firm.

In 2022, Carter opened her own firm and maintains a solo legal practice representing clients in criminal, civil, probate and estate planning matters. Also in 2022, she became the Caruthersville municipal judge. In addition, she serves as contract attorney for the Missouri State Public Defender System and defense counsel for the Pemiscot County Treatment Court. William is now the associate circuit judge for Pemiscot County.

Carter still recalls one of her first cases as a lawyer. “A family from our community came to me because their father had died, and they were having issues with their stepmother,” she says. “A very seasoned attorney was representing her. This was a learning opportunity for me and made me better for future cases. The court ruled in our favor.”

One of the greatest influences on her career was Stephen Sharp when he was judge of Missouri’s 35th Circuit Court. “I developed a love for the law and being in the courtroom because of Judge Sharp,” Carter says. “I learned so much in his courtroom. He said he always kept in mind that when someone was standing before him, he may have been the only person who truly cared about them. In the courtroom, I stand beside my clients and truly care about what happens to them. I know the outcome of their case affects them as well as the lives of their family.”