31 October 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.– The Appellate Judicial Commission now is accepting applications for the position of judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, to fill the vacancy on that court created by the departure of Judge Patricia Breckenridge. Judge Breckenridge served on the Western District from December 1990 until September 2007, when Governor Matt Blunt appointed her as a judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri.

Interested persons may download the application and accompanying rules and instructions below:

Application: in Microsoft Word in Adobe

Instructions for Applicants: in Microsoft Word in Adobe

Guidelines for References: in Microsoft Word in Adobe

Applications must be filed by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, 2007, but earlier submission is encouraged.

Persons who applied for the vacancies on the Western District left by the recent retirements of Judge Edwin Smith and Judge Robert G. Ulrich will be considered to have applied for the vacancy left by Judge Patricia Breckenridge’s departure as well, without the need to file a further application, unless they previously have indicated in writing to the Commission chair, Chief Justice Laura Denvir Stith, that they did not wish their applications to be considered for future vacancies. Prior applicants may submit supplemental materials or references in support of their application for the Judge Breckenridge vacancy up to the Nov. 16, 2007, application deadline.

Additional interviews will not be scheduled for those applicants who were interviewed for the vacancies created by the retirements of Judge Smith, Judge Ulrich or Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White. Any persons who apply for the Judge Breckenridge vacancy but who were not interviewed in connection with these earlier vacancies will be contacted by the Commission to arrange an interview.

The commission will confer and select a panel of three persons to nominate to the governor for the Judge Breckenridge vacancy as soon as possible after applications close but not before the governor's selection of one of the three persons nominated for the Judge Ulrich vacancy.

The Missouri Constitution requires that a judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals 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, and a resident of the court of appeals district in which he or she serves.

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

Contact: Beth S. Riggert

Communications Counsel

Supreme Court of Missouri

(573) 751-3676