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Lawyers Want One Of Their Own On Missouri Supreme Court

A total of 18 candidates interviewed to take over the seat of now-retired Missouri Supreme Court Judge William Ray Price Jr. Judge Price held the seat for more than 20 years, until he retired in August.
Missouri Judicial Branch
/
MO Gov

A  St. Louis attorney says a judge should not be the one to fill a vacant seat on the Missouri Supreme Court.

St. Louis lawyer Benjamin Lipman was one of 18 candidates who interviewed to fill an open seat on the state's highest court.

Former Missouri Supreme Court Judge William Ray Price Jr. held the seat for more than 20 years, until he retired in August.

Price was the last supreme court judge who came directly from private practice, which Lipman says is an important background to have on the court.

"In private practice you have such a diversity of the issues that you deal with as well of course is you're dealing directly with the actual people who come before the court,” Lipman said.

Including Lipman, ten of the 18 candidates are not judges.

The candidates stressed the different qualities that would make them a good fit for the job.

One of the candidates, Court of Appeals Judge Mark Pfeiffer says whoever gets the seat would be following "a legend". 

"I don't think you can come into the interview process and say ‘I can fill his shoes, I can be the next Judge Ray Price’ because I don't think he would want that and I don't think any judge on this board would want that,” Pfeiffer said.

Governor Jay Nixon will have 60 days to appoint one of the three final nominees.