After thirty-four years of judicial service, the Appellate Judicial Commission is interviewing 22 applicants to fill the vacancy that Judge Sherri Sullivan’s retirement will create.
Sullivan has served on the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District since 1989.
“There weren't many women judges when I went on the bench,” she said. “Judge Mary Kay Hoff and I were appointed at the same time and we ended up being pregnant in 1990 so we were very concerned at that time about maternity leave but we really worried needlessly because our colleagues were very supportive.”
Public interviews are set for Aug. 28 and 29 at the Eastern District courthouse in downtown St. Louis. The applicant pool’s mean age is 50 years old and includes seven women and 15 men.
“These are the people who are going to serve you,” Sullivan told the St. Louis Record. “These are the people who will be up for selection by the governor and for the voters to then decide whether to keep them because that is the bottom line. If they don't perform, the voters then can vote them out."
Three applicants report they are minorities while seven are employed outside the St. Louis metropolitan areas. Eleven applicants work in the public sector, including ten who are already lower court judges.
“As a trial judge, you're the captain of the ship and on the Court of Appeals, you're only one of three judges on a panel so you make collective decisions and collegiality is very important,” Sullivan said in an interview.
Seven candidates work in the private sector and four work in both. Of those in the private sector, five work in a solo or small-firm practice.
“The biggest adjustment they're going to have to make is that they're no longer an advocate,” Sullivan said. “They're not going to take a position. They must instead be a neutral judge, listen to both sides, and rule according to the law. So, they're not a sole player anymore. They're part of a team. They're equal partners.”
The Commission, which will select three finalists, is responsible for selecting nominees for vacancies on the Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeals.
The Commission is made up of the Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, three lay members and three attorneys.
“I have had the honor of serving as chief twice for the city and county circuits of the 21st and the 22nd Judicial Commission,” Sullivan said. “I was impressed with how seriously the Commissioners took their job, how much time they invested in learning the qualifications of the applicants, and how seriously they took that job of choosing three from a very qualified list of applicants.”
Sullivan added that her replacement needs to cultivate patience, have a strong work ethic, a sense of humility, passion for the law, passion for service to the people, and collegiality.
"It's not a pre-retirement position," she said. "You really need to show up consistently and work hard. You should love to read because there is a volume of materials constantly for review. You've got the briefs. You've got the record below, transcripts, and case law. You need organizational skills because as you're working on one docket, the next docket is already coming to you. You need the ability to work with colleagues. You have to be able to listen, collaborate, follow the law and stay on top of it all.”