Chief Justice Mary Russell to Speak at School of Law Pre-Commencement

The Honorable Mary Rhodes Russell, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri, will address the School of Law graduates at this year’s pre-commencement ceremony.

“We are honored to welcome Chief Justice Russell to our pre-commencement ceremony,” said Twinette Johnson, dean of Saint Louis University School of Law. “During her time on the bench, she has been a great friend to this institution. May her distinguished career and unwavering commitment to justice serve as an inspiring example for our graduates as they embark on their own paths in the legal profession.”

Judge Russell has served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri since July 2023, having previously served a two-year term from July 2013 – June 2015. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004. Her appointment to the Court marked the first time the seven-judge Court had two female members.

She was appointed in 1994 to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. She served as chief judge from 1999-2000 and remained on the court until her appointment to the Supreme Court.

Prior to the bench, Judge Russell served as a law clerk for the Honorable George Gunn of the Supreme Court of Missouri before entering private practice in Hannibal, where she grew up. She earned a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science from Truman State University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law.

Among her many honors and recognitions, she was named Woman of the Year by the Women’s Lawyers Association of St. Louis and Missouri Lawyers’ Media. She also received the Honorable Theodore McMillian Judicial Excellence Award from the Missouri Bar in 2016.

Judge Russell will speak during the School of Law’s pre-commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at the Chaifetz Arena.