Bernette Johnson has been sworn in as the first black chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, less than four months after her colleagues resolved a dispute over whether she was entitled to the position.

Johnson took her oath of office during a brief ceremony Friday, a day after her predecessor, Catherine "Kitty'' Kimball, formally retired. The oath was administered by her daughter, Rachel, in front of her immediate family and some members of the legal community. A public ceremony marking her investiture is scheduled for Feb. 28.

Johnson sued in July after her colleagues said they would debate whether she or Justice Jeffrey Victory, who is white, had the seniority that entitled them to succeed Kimball.

The state's highest court ended the racially tinged power struggle in October, ruling that Johnson's years of appointed service count when deciding which justice is "oldest in point of service'' under the state constitution.

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