Mary Rhodes Russell
Supreme Court of Missouri
Dates of judicial service:
Appointed to the Supreme Court in September 2004
Retained in office at the November 2006 general election for a 12-year term expiring December 31, 2018
Serving a two-year term as chief justice from July 2013 through June 2015
Previously served as a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, from 1995 to 2004 and as its chief judge from 1999 to 2000
Education:
Educated in Hannibal, Missouri, public schools and valedictorian of her high school graduating class
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude (majors - communications and print media), Truman State University, 1980
Juris Doctor, University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, 1983, Dean's List
Prior employment:
Partner, Clayton & Rhodes Law Office, Hannibal, 1984 to 1995
Law clerk, Supreme Court of Missouri, the Honorable George Gunn, 1983 to 1984
Professional memberships and activities:
Member
The Missouri Bar, 1983 to present
Illinois Bar Association, 1984 to 1995
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, 2004 to present
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, 1993 to present
Lawyers' Association of St. Louis, 1995 to present
Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, 2004 to present
10th Circuit Bar Association, 1983 to present
Cole County Bar Association, 2004 to present
American Bar Association, 1983 to present
National Association of Women Judges, 1995 to present
Women Lawyers Association of St. Louis, 1992 to present
Mid-Missouri Women Lawyers' Association, 2004 to present
Master, Elwood L. Thomas Inn of Court, 2006 to present
Also admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States District Court for both the Eastern and Western districts of Missouri
Volunteer judge, Lewis and Clark Middle School "truancy court," Jefferson City, 2004 to present
- Instructor
- Missouri Judicial College, National Appellate Judges' Conference, National District Attorneys Association
- Current
- Judge
- Supreme Court of Missouri
- - Current
- Appointed to the Supreme Court in September 2004 Retained in office at the November 2006 general election for a 12-year term expiring December 31, 2018 Serving a two-year term as chief justice from July 2013 through June 2015
- Judge
- Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District
- -
- chief judge from 1999 to 2000
- Partner
- Clayton & Rhodes Law Office, Hannibal
- -
- Law Clerk
- Supreme Court of Missouri, the Honorable George Gunn
- -
- University of Missouri - Columbia
- J.D. (1983) | Law
- Honors: Dean's list
-
- Truman State University
- B.A. and B.S. (1980) | Communications and Print Media
- Honors: summa cum laude
-
- "50 Missourians You Should Know"
- Ingram Law, LLC
- Woman of the Year
- Missouri Lawyer's Media
- Women's Justice Award
- The Daily Record
- Woman of the Year
- Women Lawyers Association of St. Louis
- Citation of Merit Alumni Award
- University of Missouri
- Elwood L. Thomas Inn of Court
- Master
- - Current
-
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
-
- Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
-
- Cole County Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
-
- Mid-Missouri Women Lawyers' Association
- Member
- - Current
-
- Lawyers' Association of St. Louis
- Member
- - Current
-
- National Association of Women Judges
- Member
- - Current
-
- Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
- Member
- - Current
-
- Women Lawyers Association of St. Louis
- Member
- - Current
-
- The Missouri Bar
- Member
- - Current
-
- 10th Circuit Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
-
- American Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
-
- Illinois Bar Association
- Member
- -
-
- Commencement
- Truman State University, 2000 University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Law 1997 and 2005 University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Law, 2006 A.T. Still University, 2007
