27 June 2022

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Appellate Judicial Commission is accepting applications for judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, to fill the impending vacancy created by the August 2, 2022, retirement of Judge Colleen Dolan.

Dolan has been a judge for nearly three decades. She earned her bachelor’s degree in administration of justice in 1981 from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and her law degree in 1984 from Saint Louis University School of Law. She was in the private practice of law for 10 years and also served as municipal judge for Ellisville for two years, both until 1994, when she was appointed as an associate circuit judge in St. Louis County (21st Judicial Circuit). In 1999, she was appointed as a circuit judge in the 21st circuit, where she served for more than 16 years. She was appointed in March 2016 to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, for which she served as chief judge from July 2019 through June 2020. 

Citizens are encouraged to nominate well-qualified candidates for the commission’s consideration. 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. Nominations should be submitted to the commission by e-mail at EDJudgeVacancy@courts.mo.gov, or by postal mail to Appellate Judicial Commission, Eastern District Judge Vacancy, Post Office Box 150, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The nomination form is available below.

Public nomination form:   Word PDF 

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, July 29, 2022. Interested persons may download the application materials and instructions below.

Application:  Word    PDF

Authorization:  Word PDF 

Instructions for applicants: Word PDF

Guidelines for references: Word PDF

The commission expects to meet Wednesday and Thursday, September 7 and 8, 2022, at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, One Post Office Square, 815 Olive Street, in St. Louis to interview applicants and 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 interviews. 

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

Contact: Beth S. Riggert

Communications Counsel

Supreme Court of Missouri

(573) 751-3676