JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Effective January 1, Betsy Ledgerwood has become the first woman to serve as clerk of the Supreme Court of Missouri and only the sixth person to hold the position in the last century.

“I am grateful and very humbled about the opportunity the Court has given me to serve a government I love and believe in,” Ledgerwood said. “I visited Jefferson City for the first time with my grandmother for the Sophomore Pilgrimage, and it was one of the most memorable days of my life. Never could I have dreamed I would end up working in state government, let alone serving as clerk of the Supreme Court.”

A native of Alton, in southern Missouri, Ledgerwood 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. She worked as a consultant and general counsel for Behavioral Health Concepts Inc. before serving more than a decade as a governmental consultant in the private sector.

The Court hired Ledgerwood in January 2012 as commission counsel for the state’s Judicial Finance Commission and legislative liaison and promoted her nine months later to the 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.

“During her time at the Supreme Court, Betsy Ledgerwood has impressed everyone with her integrity, judgment and knowledge,” Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge said. “She has earned the respect and trust of those with whom she has worked and is invaluable to the courts. The Court is grateful to have her as clerk and is confident that she will be an exceptional leader of Missouri’s judicial system.”

As clerk, Ledgerwood succeeds Bill L. Thompson, who retired December 31 after nearly five years in that position and more than three decades as the Court’s counsel. Previous clerks include:

• Thomas F. Simon, who served from January 1972 through May 2011;
• Marion Spicer, who served from August 1943 through December 1971;
• Eppa F. Elliott, who served from July 1933 until his death in August 1943; and
• Jacob D. Allen, who served from April 1910 until July 1933.

Ledgerwood lives in Jefferson City with her four children, Maddie, Anna, Scarlett and Connor.