21 May 2021
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – George W. Draper III, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri and chair of the Appellate Judicial Commission, announces the commission today submitted to Governor Michael L. Parson its panel of nominees to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of Missouri created by the March 2021 retirement of Judge Laura Denvir Stith.
After more than eight hours of public interviews, approximately four hours of deliberations and nine rounds of balloting, the nominees are Donald E. Burrell Jr., William M. Corrigan Jr. and Robin Ransom.
Burrell is a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, in Springfield. He was born in 1960 and resides in Strafford. He earned his bachelor of science, summa cum laude, in finance/real estate in 1982 from what is now Missouri State University in Springfield and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. He received six votes.
Corrigan is a circuit judge in the 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County) in Clayton. He was born in 1958 and resides in St. Louis. He earned his bachelor of business administration in accountancy in 1981 from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, and his law degree in 1985 from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He received six votes.
Ransom is a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, in St. Louis. She was born in 1967 and resides in St. Louis. She earned her bachelor of arts in political science and sociology in 1988 from Douglass Residential College at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in New Brunswick and her law degree in 1991 from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. She received six votes.
The governor has 60 days to select one member of the panel to fill the vacancy. Should he fail to do so, the Missouri Constitution directs the commission to make the appointment.
In addition to Draper, the commission is composed of Scott S. Bethune of Kansas City, Neil Chanter of Springfield, Timothy M. Drury of St. Louis, Sally Hargis of Springfield, Thomas K. Neill of St. Louis and Kathy Ritter of Columbia.
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Note: The governor on May 24, 2021, appointed Judge Robin Ransom to fill this vacancy.
Note: Links to applications and photos typically are disabled after the governor makes his appointment.
Contact: Beth S. Riggert
Communications Counsel
Supreme Court of Missouri
(573) 751-3676