20 December 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Sixteenth Circuit Judicial Commission is accepting applications for the position of circuit judge, Division 11 of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit (Jackson County), beginning December 20, 2019. This position will be created by the upcoming retirement of Judge George E. Wolf, who is retiring effective March 16, 2020. Judge Wolf was a partner with the law firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon, where he worked for more than 30 years before becoming a circuit judge in Division 11 of the Jackson County circuit court in August 2017. Pursuant to Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 10.26, the commission is authorized to nominate candidates to fill a vacancy, which will occur at a definite future date, up to 60 days before the vacancy occurs.

Citizens are encouraged to nominate well-qualified candidates for the commission’s consideration.  Article V, section 21 of the Missouri Constitution requires that a circuit judge be at least 30 years old, licensed to practice law in Missouri, a citizen of the United States for at least 10 years, a qualified voter of Missouri for the three years preceding selection, and a resident of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit for at least one year. Nominations should be submitted to the contact person listed below.


Applications and instructions are available below:


The commission must receive all completed applications for the circuit judge vacancy by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 21, 2020.

Public interviews will be scheduled at a later date.

Members of the commission are Karen King Mitchell, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District; attorneys Phyllis Norman and Kirk Presley; and lay members Connie Cierpiot and Damon Daniel.

Note: Links to application materials typically are disabled after the application deadline passes.