JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Appellate Judicial Commission is accepting applications for judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, to fill the vacancy created by the September 2019 retirement of Judge Lawrence E. Mooney after more than 20 years of judicial service. Prior to his appointment, Mooney worked as first assistant prosecuting attorney in the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office and as executive assistant in the St. Louis County executive’s office. Mooney was appointed to the appeals court in August 1998, was the court’s chief judge from July 2002 through June 2003 and, for the last four years, served as the court’s settlement judge.

Citizens are encouraged to nominate well-qualified candidates for the commission’s consideration. The Missouri Constitution requires that a judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals be at least 30 years old, licensed to practice law in Missouri, a United States citizen for at least 15 years and a qualified Missouri voter for at least nine years next preceding selection. Nominations should be submitted to the commission by e-mail at EDJudgeVacancy@courts.mo.gov, or by postal mail to Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District Judge Vacancy, P.O. Box 150, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The nomination form is available below.

Public nomination form:   Word    PDF

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, December 6, 2019. Interested persons may download the application and instructions below.


The commission expects to meet Friday, January 17, 2020, at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District in the Old Post Office at 815 Olive Street in St. Louis, to interview applicants and select a panel of three nominees for the governor’s consideration. The interviews will be open to the public. The names of those to be interviewed and information relating to the number and characteristics of all applicants will be released publicly prior to the beginning of the interviews.

Contact: Beth S. Riggert
Communications Counsel
Supreme Court of Missouri
(573) 751-3676