11 May 2016

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Supreme Court of Missouri announced today that its clerk, Bill L. Thompson, plans to retire effective January 1, 2017, after serving the Court with honor and distinction for nearly four decades. The Court has appointed Betsy AuBuchon, its director of government relations and deputy counsel, to serve as clerk upon Thompson’s retirement.

Thompson came to the Court in June 1978 as a staff attorney. He served as the Court’s counsel for nearly 34 years before he began serving as clerk in June 2011.

“Bill’s service to this Court over the years has been immeasurable,” Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge said. “He has been an invaluable resource not only to the Court’s judges and staff but also to judges throughout the state, especially to advise us in the intricacies of civil procedure. His leadership as counsel and then clerk has been dedicated to working in the best interests of the judiciary and the people of Missouri. While we will miss him tremendously, we wish Bill and his family the best in his well-earned retirement."

In describing AuBuchon, the incoming clerk, Breckenridge said, “Betsy’s vast knowledge of the law and the inner-workings of all three branches of government, as well as her personal integrity and good judgment, will continue to serve the courts and the state well.”

The Court hired AuBuchon in January 2012 as commission counsel for the state’s Judicial Finance Commission and legislative liaison and promoted her nine months later to a newly created position of director of government relations and deputy counsel. In that role, she has aided in everything from guiding budget negotiations for the judiciary to helping to schedule cases for argument to helping to oversee death penalty cases. She previously served more than a decade as a governmental consultant in the private sector.

“I am honored by the opportunity the Court has given me and the confidence the judges have in me,” AuBuchon said. “I am thankful for the knowledge and support of the many wonderful employees at the Court and leaders throughout the judiciary.”

A native of Alton, in southern Missouri, AuBuchon has earned three degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia – her bachelor of science in agricultural journalism in 1997 and her master of health administration and her law degree both in 2000. AuBuchon and her husband, Rich, live in Jefferson City with their four children, Maddie, Anna, Scarlett and Connor.

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