6 June 2011

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Appellate Judicial Commission announced today that it is accepting applications for vacancy on the Supreme Court of Missouri to fill the vacancy created by the impending resignation of Judge William Ray Price Jr. – currently the longest-serving judge on the state’s high court – who is retiring Aug. 1 after serving more than 20 years on the Supreme Court, including two two-year terms as chief justice, from July 1999 through June 2001 and July 2009 through June 2011. He also has served more than 11 years as chairman of the Missouri Drug Court Commission, one two-year term as chairman of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, and a one-year term as vice president of the national Conference of Chief Justices.

Citizens are encouraged to nominate well-qualified candidates for the commission’s consideration. The Missouri Constitution requires that a judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri 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 JudgeVacancy@courts.mo.gov or by postal mail to Supreme Court Judge Vacancy, PO Box 150, Jefferson City, MO 65102.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, July 13, 2012. Interested persons may download the application and instructions below.

Application: in Microsoft Word in Adobe PDF

Instructions for Applicants: in Microsoft Word in Adobe PDF

Guidelines for References: in Microsoft Word in Adobe PDF

The commission will meet Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 10 and 11 at the Supreme Court Building in Jefferson City to interview applicants and to 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.

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

Contact: Beth Riggert

Communications Counsel

Supreme Court of Missouri

(573) 751-3676