Vermont's judicial system has changed a lot over Karen Carroll's four-decade career, in ways both good and bad.
There are more online hearings, which help speed up the judicial process and can feel safer to some plaintiffs, such as victims of domestic violence. But, there is a shortage of licensed attorneys, particularly in the more rural parts of the state.
Carroll has many more examples of how the courts have changed, culled from her years as a deputy state's attorney, a lawyer in the Vermont attorney general's office, and a superior court judge. In 2017 she was selected by Gov. Phil Scott to be an Associate Justice on the Vermont Supreme Court. She plans to retire this August.
Carroll grew up in the Northeast Kingdom, and her family was steeped in the traditions of law enforcement. Her father was a Vermont state trooper. Her grandfather and great-grandfather both served as Burlington's chief of police. "I just was fascinated by the whole criminal justice system," she said Tuesday on Vermont Edition.
She attended Vermont Law School, where she studied criminal justice and became a trial lawyer. She also met her future husband there, who went on to become an attorney as well.
As a young prosecutor with the State's Attorney's office in Windham County, Carroll was laser-focused on winning cases. She recalled a pivotal conversation with her boss, who urged her to prioritize fairness and honesty instead of courtroom victories. "It kind of took the pressure off winning, and focused more on doing the right thing," she said. "And that's always stayed with me."
Carroll has worked to imbue those same values in Vermont's next generation of lawyers. Her former law clerk, Andrew Cliburn, said he most admires Carroll for her unwavering commitment to fairness. "She is the fairest person that I have ever met," said Cliburn, who is now a partner at DesMeules, Olmstead & Ostler in Norwich.
One of her greatest concerns about the future of Vermont's judiciary is the lack of access to legal representation that many rural Vermonters face. "We have a very aging attorney population right now," she said. "We need young lawyers here in Vermont." Carroll chairs the , which is a coalition of legal services providers for individuals who can't afford it themselves.
Carroll and her husband plan to spend their summers in Maine and more time with her three children and grandchild. Vermont's judicial nominating board now is for the soon-to-be vacant seat on the Supreme Court.
This hour of Vermont Edition also included a recent episode of Brave Little State about the future of Vermont Law and Graduate School in South Royalton. Both Carroll and Cliburn are VLGS graduates.
Broadcast live on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
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