Chris Jayaram

Chris Jayaram
Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court
Incumbent
Assumed office August 4, 2026
Appointed by	Laura Kelly
Preceded by	Marla Luckert
Personal details
Born	Krishnan Christopher Jayaram (1971-03-10) March 10, 1971 (age 55) New York City, New York, U.S.
Party	Democratic (1999–2017, 2022–2024)[1] Independent (2017–2022, 2024–present)
Education	Texas Christian University (attended) University of Kansas (BA) Lewis and Clark College (JD)

Krishnan Christopher Jayaram (born March 10, 1971) is an associate justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. He was appointed by Governor Laura Kelly in July 2026.^[2] He previously served as a District Court Judge in Johnson County District Court beginning in 2021 and worked as a civil litigation attorney. He was sworn into office in August 2026.^[3]

Early life and education

Jayaram studied for two years at Texas Christian University, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental science from the University of Kansas and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College in 1997.^[4]

References

1. Nichanian, Daniel (August 14, 2026). "A Ballot Measure's Defeat, and New Judicial Appointments, Foil Kansas Conservatives". Bolts. Retrieved August 16, 2026. Jayaram is currently a registered independent but he was a registered Democrat from 1999 to 2017 and 2022 to 2024, according to voter registration records shared with Bolts by the secretary of state's office.
2. Carpenter, Tim (July 13, 2026). "Gov. Laura Kelly Selects Johnson County Judge to Fill Vacancy on Kansas Supreme Court". Kansas Reflector. States Newsroom. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
3. "Jayaram Sworn In as Kansas Supreme Court Justice". Kansas Judicial Branch. August 4, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
4. "Supreme Court Nominating Commission – Brief Biographical Sketches" (PDF). Kansas Judicial Branch. May 9, 2025. Retrieved August 4, 2026.

Legal offices
Preceded by Marla Luckert	Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court 2026–present	Incumbent