1 July 2019
ST. LOUIS – Judge Colleen Dolan has been elected chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, by unanimous vote of the judges of the court. Her one-year term begins July 1, 2019. The chief judge is the chief administrative officer of the court, presides at court en banc meetings and represents the court to the public.
“It is such an honor to become the chief judge of the Eastern District court of appeals,” Dolan said. “I believe my greatest responsibility will be to make sure the legacy of service, accountability and fairness we owe the citizens of this state continues to be of the utmost importance. Those who have held this position in the past have set the bar high. I am proud to follow them, and I promise to work hard every day to make sure those whose cases come before our court know that every case matters to us – and that justice is something we will always take seriously. I would like to thank my colleagues on the Eastern District for the confidence they have shown in me. I look forward to the year ahead.”
Dolan was appointed to the Eastern District in 2016 by Gov. Jay Nixon.
She received her bachelor of science degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and is a graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law. Prior to her appointment to the court of appeals, Dolan served as a circuit judge for the St. Louis County circuit court for 17 years and was an associate circuit judge for five years. Prior to taking the bench, she was in the private practice of law from 1985 to 1994. She also served as a municipal judge from 1992 to 1994 for the city of Ellisville.
Over the years, Dolan has been active in the community with various bar organizations. She has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Missouri committees on alternative dispute resolution, family court, and subcommittee on training and certification of municipal judges. She has taught courses about municipal court divisions for new municipal judges, courses at the trial college, and trial advocacy as an adjunct professor at Saint Louis University School of Law.
The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, hears appeals from the trial courts in 25 counties in eastern Missouri and the city of St. Louis. It is the largest court in the state appellate system. The court is located in the historic Old Post Office in downtown St. Louis but regularly holds sessions at various locations throughout the district.
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Contact: Laura Roy, clerk of court
Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District
(314) 539-4300