JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Appellate Judicial Commission now is accepting applications for the position of judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, to fill the vacancy that will be created by the resignation of Judge Patricia L. Cohen, effective January 3, 2016, to accept a position as a federal magistrate judge after serving nearly two decades as a state court judge. She served as a circuit judge in St. Louis from 1997 until her 2003 appointment to the Eastern District, of which she served as chief judge from July 2007 through June 2008.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, January 15, 2016. Interested persons may download the application and instructions below.

Application:  Word        PDF

Instructions for applicants:    Word         PDF

Guidelines for references:    Word         PDF

Persons who applied for the Ahrens vacancy on the Eastern District must indicate their desire to be considered for the Cohen vacancy by e-mail at EDJudgeVacancy@courts.mo.gov. Such prior applicants need not resubmit application materials or reference letters but may submit, by e-mail, supplemental or substitute materials clearly marked as such. All such materials must be received by the application deadline.

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 Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District Judge Vacancy, PO Box 150, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The nomination form is available below.

            Public nomination form:   Word     PDF

The commission expects to meet Monday and Tuesday, February 8 and 9, 2016, at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District at the Old Post Office, 815 Olive Street in St. Louis, 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.