In addition to its decision-making powers, the Supreme Court supervises all lower courts in the state. It is assisted in this task by its Office of State Courts Administrator, established in 1970, and the clerk of the Supreme Court.

The clerk of the Supreme Court is responsible for a wide range of duties, including the supervision of the internal administrative function of the Court itself as well as the planning and administrative direction of the Missouri Judicial Conference, the organization of all the state's judges.

Betsy Ledgerwood, Clerk
Supreme Court of Missouri
Post Office Box 150
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-4144

Administrative Duties

The day-to-day administrative duties of the clerk's staff include handling inquiries and procedural requests from attorneys throughout the state, arranging the docketing (scheduling) of cases, maintaining files in each case before the Court, receiving and disposing of fees related to those cases, and printing and distributing opinions of the Court. In all of these matters, handled primarily by the office of the deputy clerk for the Court en Banc, the clerk reports directly to the chief justice.

The security and maintenance of the Supreme Court Building – as well as the 110,000 volumes in the Supreme Court Library – are also the responsibility of the clerk's office. In addition, the clerk's office provides information and assistance to the media by responding to inquiries and providing case summaries.

The clerk of the Supreme Court also has a number of additional duties relating to The Missouri Bar, the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel and the Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners.

Missouri Bar Responsibilities

Among the records the clerk is required to maintain are the official and permanent roll of attorneys for the state of Missouri. The clerk's office also prepares, on request, certificates evidencing admission of attorneys to The Missouri Bar and receipts fees required for pro hac admission. By Supreme Court rule, the clerk is treasurer of the state Board of Law Examiners, which conducts bar examinations twice yearly. The clerk also supervises the semiannual enrollment ceremonies and prepares all attorney licenses.

By Supreme Court rule, the clerk also ex officio treasurer of The Missouri Bar and the advisory committee and is responsible for collecting the annual attorney enrollment fee and distributing Missouri Bar membership cards to all attorneys licensed to practice in Missouri. The clerk is responsible for maintaining the official records of The Missouri Bar and the bar fund and for preparing annual financial reports for publication in the Journal of The Missouri Bar. The clerk also is responsible for conducting annual elections for The Missouri Bar board of governors.