Appellate Judicial Commission seeks applicants for Odenwald vacancy on Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District

13 August 2024

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Appellate Judicial Commission is accepting applications for judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals to fill the vacancy created by the impending November 16, 2024, retirement of Judge Kurt S. Odenwald after approximately 17 years of judicial service. He was appointed to the appeals court in October 2007 and served as its chief judge from July 2011 through June 2012. He previously was in the private practice of law, a staff attorney for the St. Louis public defender’s office, and associate general counsel for Anheuser-Busch Inc. A native of St. Louis, Odenwald earned his bachelor of arts, magna cum laude, in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and his law degree, cum laude, from Saint Louis University School of law.

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 EDJudgeVacancy@courts.mo.gov, or by postal mail to Appellate Judicial Commission, Missouri Court of Appeals Vacancy, Post Office Box 150, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The nomination form is available below.

Those interested in applying may download the application materials and instructions below.

Applications will be accepted until noon Friday, September 6.

The commission has reserved Tuesday and Wednesday, October 1 and 2, 2024, at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, One Post Office Square, 815 Olive Street, in St. Louis to interview applicants for this vacancy and select a panel of three nominees for the governor’s consideration. The commission will conduct full interviews of any new applicants and abbreviated interviews of any prior applicants. The interviews will be open to the public. The names of applicants to be interviewed as well as 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 application deadline closes.

Contact: Beth S. Riggert

Communications Counsel

Supreme Court of Missouri

(573) 751-3676