Judge Patricia Breckenridge was born in 1953, in Nevada, Missouri. She was educated in the public schools of Nevada. Breckenridge attended the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she graduated in 1975 with a bachelor of science in agricultural economics. In 1977, Breckenridge received her law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. She was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1978. 

Upon graduation, she returned to Nevada and practiced law with father and husband in the firm Russell, Brown, Bickel, and Breckenridge until 1982. From 1979 to 1982, Breckenridge also served as an assistant municipal judge in Nevada. On January 22, 1982, then-Governor Christopher “Kit” Bond appointed her as an associate circuit judge for Vernon County, becoming the first-ever female judge in the county. County voters elected her to the associate circuit judge position in 1982 and reelected her in 1986 and 1990. 

On December 18, 1990, then-Governor John Ashcroft appointed Breckenridge to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. Voters in the district retained her in office in 1992. She served as the Western District’s chief judge from July 1, 1998, through June 30, 2000. While at the Western District appeals court, Breckenridge authored more than 900 opinions. 

On September 7, 2007, then-Governor Matt Blunt appointed Breckenridge to the Supreme Court of Missouri. Missouri voters retained her in office in 2008 and 2020. Breckenridge served as chief justice from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2017. When she began her term as chief justice, succeeding Judge Mary R. Russell, it was the first time in the Court’s history that two female judges had served back-to-back terms as chief justice. During her time as chief justice, Breckenridge was instrumental in adopting uniform standards for juvenile officers, and helping to establish the Court’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness, Task Force on Criminal Justice, Commission on Civil Justice Reform, Partnership for Child Safety and Well-Being, and Committee on Practice and Procedures in Municipal Division Cases. 

Breckenridge is a member of The Missouri Bar, American Bar Association, National Association of Women Judges, Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Association of Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City. She was president of the Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges from 1990 to 1991. She served on the Missouri Task Force on Gender and Justice from 1990 to 1993. Breckenridge was co-chair of the Gender Fairness Implementation Committee from 1993 to 1997. Additionally, Breckenridge served as chair of the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Judicial Education Coordinating Commission and civic education committee. Breckenridge also was a member of the National Center for State Courts Task Force on Fines, Fees and Bail Practices; the Casey Family Programs’ National Impact Outcomes Committee; and an Elwood L. Thomas American Inn of Court Master. 

She has been awarded the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law’s Citation of Merit Award, The Missouri Bar President’s Award, Association of Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City’s Judicial Recognition Award, and the Kansas City Daily Record’s Legal Leader Award. Breckenridge is a Women’s Lawyers’ Association of Greater St. Louis Honoree, a fellow of the Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. In 2017, she was honored as Missouri Lawyers Media’s Woman of the Year at its Women’s Justice Awards ceremony. Due to her commitment to the administration of justice, Breckenridge received the Missouri Bar Foundation’s Spurgeon Smithson Award in 2023. 

After more than 40 years of judicial service, Breckenridge retired from the Court on October 13, 2023, pursuant to the state constitution’s mandatory retirement provision.

“2020 Faculty-Alumni Award Recipients,” Mizzou Alumni Association website, November 20, 2020, accessed July 2, 2024. 

“Breckenridge, Draper, and Venker honored with the 2023 Spurgeon Smithson Awards,” The Missouri Bar website, September 5, 2023, accessed June 25, 2024. 

“Two Missouri Supreme Court Judges to retire,” St. Louis Post Dispatch, (St. Louis, Missouri) February 8, 2023, accessed July 2, 2024. 

Becky R. Gilmore, “Patricia Breckenridge Sworn in As Associate Circuit Judge,” The Nevada Daily Mail, (Nevada, Missouri), January 28, 1982, information courtesy of Google News Archive Search database, accessed July 2, 2024. 

Beth S. Riggert, “Appellate Judicial Commission Seeks Applicants for Breckenridge Vacancy on Supreme Court of Missouri,” September 11, 2024, information courtesy of the Missouri Courts website, accessed July 2, 2024. 

Bob Watson, “Breckenridge Takes Over As State Chief Justice,” Jefferson City News Tribune, (Jefferson City, Missouri), July 1, 2015.

Jessica Shumaker, “Breckenridge Honored as Woman of the Year,” Missouri Lawyers Weekly, (St. Louis, Missouri), May 8, 2017. 

Jim Grebing, ed., Rebecca McDowell Cook, Secretary of State, Official Manual State of Missouri 1997-1998, (Jefferson City, MO: 1998), 215. 

Johannes Brann, “Breckenridge Speaks Locally As Chief Justice For Last Time,” Nevdadailymail.com website, June 13, 2017. 

Maria Sudekum Fisher, “Judge Patricia Breckenridge,” Southeast Missourian, (Cape Girardeau, Missouri) September 8, 2007, information courtesy of Google News Archive Search database, accessed July 2, 2024. 

John R. Ashcroft, Secretary of State, Official Manual State of Missouri 2017-2018, (Jefferson City, MO: State Printers, 2018), 206. Publication located at the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library. 

John R. Ashcroft, Secretary of State, Official Manual State of Missouri 2021-2022, (Jefferson City, MO: 2022), 210. 

Rob Davis, ed., Matt Blunt, Secretary of State, Official Manual 2001-2002, (Jefferson City, MO: 2002), 239. 

Scott Lauck, “Breckenridge’s Bench,” Missouri Lawyers Weekly, (St. Louis, Missouri) July 6, 2015. 

Steve Moyer, “Breckenridge Appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court,” Nevada Daily Mail, (Nevada, Missouri), September 11, 2007.

Steven N. Ahrens, ed., Rebecca McDowell Cook, Secretary of State, Official Manual State of Missouri, 1995-1996, (Jefferson City, MO: State Printers, 1996), 215.