Hughes began her career as an associate at the
law firm of Greenebaum Doll & McDonald (now Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP) and later joined the law firm of Hirn Doheny Reed & Harper, where she became a partner in 1994. In 1996, she became a founding partner at the law firm of Reed Weitkamp Schell & Vice. While in private practice, Hughes handled a variety of business and commercial litigation in both state and federal courts. She served as a Judge on the
Kentucky Court of Appeals from 1997 until 1998 and again after Kentucky Governor
Ernie Fletcher appointed her to the court on June 30, 2006. In 1999, Justice Hughes was appointed and then elected to the
Jefferson Circuit Court, where she served for over seven years. ==Kentucky Supreme Court service==