Ryan Griffith

Pam Clay-Young, JD

Research Associate

Pam Clay-Young served as staff attorney for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Department of Highways in Lexington from 2001-2017, focusing primarily on cases using eminent domain to acquire property for road construction projects.  Her work also included representation of the Cabinet in Board of Claims and encroachment cases.  She maintained an excellent trial record while at the Cabinet and served on the Project Team for the Newtown Pike Extension Project (NPE) from 2003-2017.  As part of her work for the University of Kentucky’s Kentucky Transportation Center, she assisted the NPE project on final measures to fulfill its obligations, specifically addressing long term sustainability of a community land trust created by the project as a mitigation tool for environmental justice.

Prior to joining the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Pam maintained a solo practice in Lexington from 1993-2001.  Prior to that she served as Attorney Chief for the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet in Frankfort; and served as senior attorney for Protection and Advocacy, Inc. in California.  Due in part to her undergraduate majors in psychology and health education, she began her legal career doing civil rights litigation on behalf of people with disabilities.  She assisted in the development of the Mental Health Advocacy Project while working at the Kentucky Protection and Advocacy Office. She directed and advised non-legal staff on investigations of abuse, neglect, and rights violations; and conducted training and coordinated conferences on both a national and state level for parents, professionals, and consumers on disability law.

She has litigated cases before Kentucky trial and appellate courts, US District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky and is admitted to practice before the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

She received her JD from the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law in 1982.