Meet Our Lawyers

Bio

• Right out of law school, Jennifer joined the Sedgwick County Kansas Court Trustee’s Office and established, modified and enforced child support obligations. Being a native to the Kansas City area, Jennifer returned here to practice family law with Richard T Bryant and Associates for seven years. She joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2008 and has remained in the child support modification group of Financial Services.

Practice Areas

• Financial Services
• Criminal Expungements

Admitted to Practice

• Kansas, 1995
• Missouri, 1996
• United States District Court-Western District, 1996

Education

• University of Wisconsin, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, 1992

• American Jurisprudence Award in Contracts, 1992

• Intern with the Public Defender Project 1993

• Intern for the Honorable Julie Robinson-United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Kansas

   

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar Association

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Attorney General’s Award for excellence in Litigation, 2017

Bio

• Savannah Austin is an Assistant Attorney General in the Financial Services Recovery section.

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2021

Education

• University of Missouri Law School– Columbia
  J.D. — May 2021
• University of Missouri
  B.S. Hospitality Management; Minor in Business; Minor in English (Writing); May 2018

Bio

• Lindsey joined the Governmental Affairs section of the Attorney General’s Office in 2023. Prior to joining the AG’s office, she was in private practice for 13 years and handled a diversity of civil cases, primarily involving litigation. 

  Lindsey has experience in all stages of civil litigation. She represents state agencies and boards in various tribunals throughout Missouri and handles a wide variety of matters.

Practice Areas

• Litigation
• General/Administrative Law
• Appellate

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri Bar, 2011
• Texas Bar, 2009

Education

• Regent University, School of Law 2009
• University of Houston, Honors College 2005

 Professional Affiliations

• Legal Aid of Western Missouri (Board of Trustees)
• Joseph Bar Association (past President)

Honors & Awards

• Co-author of the Missouri Bar’s “Trial Practice” and “Tort Liability and the Family Relationship” in family law
• Hall of Fame Inductee, University of Houston Forensic Society (2009)
• Girls Nation (2000)

Bio

• Michael Bang is a graduate of Missouri State University and Creighton University, School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Missouri. Michael has been with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office since March 2018. He started out in the Springfield Office practicing Worker’s Compensation Law in the Labor Division. In August 2022, he transferred to a position in the Financial Division in the Kansas City Office. Prior to working for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, Michael worked for the Missouri Department of Social Services where he practiced juvenile and family law.

Practice Areas

• Financial Law
• Real Estate Law
• Worker’s Compensation

Admitted to Practice

• State of Missouri, 2012

Education

• Creighton University, School of Law, 2012
• Missouri State University, 2009
  Cum Laude

Bio

• The son of a career Air Force officer who won the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Missouri Special Education Teacher of the Year, Greg was raised with an ethic of patriotism and service. During his college years, Greg was an intercollegiate debater, did a field term with the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, helped jump-start an anti-apartheid movement, and was twice elected Student Body President. After college, Greg worked for several public interest groups before attending law school.

  During law school, Greg won awards for ranking his classes in Constitutional Law, Mediation, and International Law. After law school, Greg clerked for a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals and worked for Sandberg, Phoenix, and Von Gontard in St. Louis before joining the AGO in 1996. In his nearly 27 years at the AGO, Greg has been a litigator, a tobacco Master Settlement Agreement enforcer, and a criminal appeals specialist, handling more than 750 cases in the Missouri appellate courts. He has also handled the occasional “Indian” law case.

  Greg is a rabid bridge player, holding the rank of Gold Life Master in the American Contract Bridge league, and acts in community theater productions. He has served on three non-profit boards related to these interests. He has been married to his wife, Renee, for 20 years.

Practice Areas

• Criminal Appeals
• Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement
• “Indian” Law

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri 1991
• Illinois 1992

Education

• Michigan State University, B.A. with Honors College designation, 1980.
• University of Missouri Law School, J.D., 1991.

Honors & Awards

• Attorney General’s Award for Best Brief

Bio

• Jeff joined the AGO in 2003 in the Financial Services Division. In 2005, he transferred to the Criminal Division, then in 2021, he returned to the Financial Services Division, Child Support Section. He has appeared in every appellate court and a majority of the circuit courts in the state.

  Jeff came to Missouri in 1993 after earning his law degree from the University of Arkansas. Jeff began work as an assistant prosecuting attorney in southwest Missouri, focusing on child support enforcement. In 1997, Jeff began work as a staff attorney for the Missouri Division of Child Support Enforcement (later the Family Support Division) in Springfield, and later in Columbia and Jefferson City.

Practice Areas

• Family law
• Criminal law

Admitted to Practice

• Supreme Court of Missouri, 1993
• U.S. Dist. Court, Western Dist. of Missouri (1993, inactive)

Education

• University of Arkansas
  Juris Doctor,1993
  Board of Advocates; W.B. Putnam American Inn of Court; Phi Delta Phi Honorary Legal Fraternity; Dean’s List; Who’s Who in American Law Students
• Eastern New Mexico University
  Bachelor of Science, Communications (honors),1983
  Kappa Sigma fraternity; Phi Eta Sigma freshman honor society; Sigma Mu Phi sophomore honor society

Professional Affiliations

• The Missouri Bar

Bio

• Alex is an assistant attorney general in the criminal appeals section. Alex joined the Attorney General’s Office in August 2022. After his first year of law school, Alex interned at the law firm Barr & Klein, where he conducted research and wrote office memoranda for cases involving First Amendment and election law. After his second year of law school, Alex was a law clerk for two judges on the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Springfield, Illinois.

Practice Areas

• Criminal Appeals

Admitted to Practice

• USDC, Eastern District of Missouri
• USDC, Western District of Missouri
• Missouri

Education

• School: Saint Louis University School of Law
  Degree: J.D. (May 2022)
  Honors: Academic Achievement Award for highest grade in Seminar: International IP Law, Dean’s List (Spring 2022), Student Note published in Saint Louis University Law Journal, Volume 66
  Activities: International Law Student Association (Treasurer), Saint Louis University Law Journal (Online Editor)
• School: Saint Louis University
  Degree: B.A. in German Studies and History (May 2019)
  Honors: German National Honor Society, Dean’s List all semesters (Fall 2015-Spring 2019)
  Activities: Amicus Curiae Pre-Law Society

Bio

• Scott Bower joined the AGO Litigation Section in August of 2023. Since joining, Scott primarily defends state agencies and officials in lawsuits filed in state and federal court.

Practice Areas

• Civil Litigation
• Employment Law

Admitted to Practice

• The Missouri Bar, 2023

Education

• University of Missouri – Columbia, J.D., 2023 – Veterans Clinic – Missouri Law Review
• Avila University, B.B.A. Management & Marketing, 2020, Magna Cum Laude

Bio

• Prior to his semi-retirement, Ted worked for 33 years in the Public Safety Division of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, as Deputy Chief Counsel. His duties included supervising all civil and criminal litigation in that Division. His duties are divided between special criminal prosecutions throughout the state and defending most of Missouri’s state law enforcement agencies in state and federal court in civil cases. Ted has tried cases in all but two of Missouri’s counties and has over 350 jury trials. Ted has briefed and argued over 500 reported appellate decisions in state and federal court. He also trains extensively in the area or criminal records, expungements, personnel records and the Sunshine Law. Ted also is a certified police instructor, teaching courses in many of the police training academies throughout Missouri, specializing in the area of search and seizure and the use of deadly force by police officers.

Practice Areas

• Criminal Prosecutions
• Civil Rights Defense
• Civil Defense

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 1981
• Tennessee, 1987
• North Carolina, 1987

Education

• Saint Louis University, JD 1981
  Graduated cum laude; member of Bar Journal
• Murray State University, 1978, summa cum laude, BS
  President, Psi Chi Honor Society

Honors & Awards

• Law Enforcement Instructor of the Year, 1990

Bio

• Casey Campbell, Assistant Attorney General, joined the Attorney General’s Office in August 2022 after graduating law school. While in law school at UMKC, she was actively involved in UMKC’s Trial Advocacy team. Casey also interned at the Missouri Public Defender’s Office in Harrisonville, the United States Attorney’s Office in Kansas City, the New York Attorney General’s Office, and the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. She also participated in the Death Penalty Clinic through UMKC.

Practice Areas

• Medicaid Fraud/Abuse-Neglect
• Criminal

Admitted to Practice

• State of Missouri, 2022

Education

• University of Missouri-Kansas City, Juris Doctorate
  Graduated in May 2022

  Dean’s List (every semester), Pro Bono Honors, Order of Barristers Award

  1L Mock trial Competition-Champion, UMKC Law Review-Staff, Phi Delta Phi-Powell Inn, Trial Advocacy Team, UMKC Death Penalty Clinic

• University of Missouri, Bachelors’ in Political Science & Psychology
  Graduated in December 2018

  Dean’s list, It’s On Us Mizzou, Phi Mu sorority, Phi Sigma Theta National Honors Society, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law, Peer Note-taker

Bio

• Andrew Clarke grew up in Harrisonville, Missouri. Prior to joining the office in 2020, Andrew clerked for the Honorable Lisa White Hardwick at the Missouri Court of Appeals in Kansas City. While in law school, Andrew spent time in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, participated in the Innocence Clinic, and served as a research assistant to Dean Lyrissa Lidsky.

Practice Areas

• Habeas Corpus
• Appellate
• Special Prosecutions

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2018
• United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 2020
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2020

Education

• University of Missouri School of Law, JD Cum Laude 2018, Order of the Coif, Order of the Barristers
• William Jewell College, BA Psychology, 2011, Four-year letter winner Varsity Football

Honors & Awards

• Excellence in Litigation, March 2022

Bio

• Matt joined the labor team in February of 2023 after working in the insurance defense industry. Matt graduated from the University of Missouri before attending law school at Southern Illinois University. In his free time Matt enjoys spending time with friends and family, golfing, and attending Cardinals, Blues, and St. Louis City games.

Practice Areas

• Workers’ Compensation

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2017
• Illinois, 2016

Education

• University of Missouri, B.A in Political Science and Communication, 2012
• Southern Illinois University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2015

Professional Affiliations

• The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
• The Missouri Bar
• Illinois State Bar Association

Bio

• Don Cowan graduated with a law degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. After law school, he worked in various positions in public and private settings. In 2003, Don had the good fortune to be offered a position as Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Missouri Attorney General, who was Jay Nixon at that time.

  Don has worked in Financial Services since joining the AG’s Office. In his capacity, Don represents various state agencies in litigating financial matters.

Practice Areas

• Probate
• Bankruptcy
• Litigation

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri Supreme Court, 1977
• Federal District Court, Western District of Missouri, 2000

Education

• Central Missouri University, 1974
• UMKC, 1977

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar Association

Bio

• Priya Cumberbatch-Schut is an Assistant Attorney General in the St. Louis office. Priya joined the Financial Services unit in April 2023. Priya previously represented parents and children in neglect and abuse cases in Family Court in New York for over 12 years.

Practice Areas

• Family Law

Admitted to Practice

• New York, 2010
• Missouri, 2017

Education

• Baruch College, New York, BBA-International Marketing, 2003
• Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, New York,JD, 2009

Bio

• Reed Dempsey joined the Missouri Attorney General’s Office in July 2023 as an Assistant Attorney General in the Special Litigation Unit. Following law school, Reed clerked for the Hon. Maryellen Noreika in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Prior to joining the AGO, Reed worked at a litigation boutique in Washington, D.C.

Practice Areas

• Special Litigation

Admitted to Practice

• Connecticut, 2018
• Washington D.C., 2020
• U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, 2023
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2023

Education

• Bucknell University, B.A. International Relations, B.A. Sociology
• London School of Economics, MSc Economy, Risk & Society
• Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.

Bio

• After a short term in private practice Sarah began her career with the State of Missouri in 1996. She worked for the Missouri Department of Revenue in the General Counsel’s office from 1996 until 2006. In April 2006 she joined the Missouri Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General in the Financial Services Division. She currently serves as a Unit Leader for the Financial Services Recovery Unit supervising attorneys in the St. Louis and Cape Girardeau field offices. The Recovery Unit specializes in MO HealthNet (Medicaid) estate recovery, general state debt collection, state subrogation interests, and defense of the Missouri Department of Social services in petitions for judicial review relating to public assistance benefits.

Practice Areas

• Medicaid Estate Recovery
• Debt Collection and Subrogation Interests
• Appellate Practice

Admitted to Practice

• State of Missouri 1994
• State of Illinois 1995

Education

• University of Illinois, Champaign – Urbana, B.A. Political Science, 1991
• St. Louis University School of Law, J.D., 1994

Professional Affiliations

• Environmental Law Institute
• Missouri Bar Association
• Illinois Bar Association

Honors & Awards

• Missouri Attorney General’s Best Brief Award – 2017
• Missouri Attorney General’s Client Services Award – 2009

Bio

• After a few years in private practice in Southeast Missouri, Emily joined the Litigation Division on February 1, 2006. Emily has defended the State, its laws, state officials and employees in a wide variety of cases. She has argued in the Missouri Supreme Court and the Eighth Circuit.

Practice Areas

• constitutional law
• civil litigation
• appellate practice

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2002
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri, 2003
• U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri, 2006

Education

• Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Juris Doctor, 2002, Magna cum Laude
  Southern Illinois University Law Journal Research Editor
  Journal of Legal Medicine staff
• Miami University (Oxford), B.A. in English literature and French, 1999, Magna cum Laude
  Phi Beta Kappa
  Secretary of Pi Delta Phi chapter (French honor society)

Honors & Awards

• Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Litigation (2010)
• Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Client Service (2017)
• Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Written Advocacy (2018)

Bio

• Tim began his legal career serving the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission, and joined the Attorney General’s Office in 1986. Tim primarily represents and advises the Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and their related boards and commissions.

  Tim has contributed chapters and updates for Missouri Bar deskbooks related to administrative and environmental law.

Practice Areas

• Administrative Law
• Environmental Law

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri Bar, 1979
• U.S. District Court for Western and Eastern Districts, 1979
• Eighth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court, 1987

Education

• St. Louis University School of Law, J.D.,1979
• The Colorado College, B.A. (Philosophy), 1976

Bio

• Nicole Follmer joined the Missouri Attorney General’s Office (AGO) in 2013 and currently serves as the Deputy Chief Counsel of the Financial Services Section. Nicole’s entire tenure at the AGO has been with the Financial Services Section, previously serving as an Assistant Attorney General (AAG) in the Child Support Unit, an AAG in the Recovery Unit, and a Unit Leader in the Child Support Unit. Nicole continues to focus on child support, managing the office’s Child Support Unit.

Practice Areas

• Family Law
• Child Support

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2012
• Illinois, 2013

Education

• Oklahoma City University School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 2012, Cum Laude
  Oklahoma City University Law Review, Resource Editor, 2011-2012
• University of Missouri – St. Louis, B.A. Philosophy, 2009, Magna Cum Laude

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar Association
• Illinois Bar Association

Bio

• Kim Fournier is a 1995 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. After law school she worked as the law clerk to the Honorable Jack E. Gant of the Jackson County Circuit Court, then worked for the City of Kansas City, Missouri as an Assistant City Attorney. Since 2001 she has been with the AGO. She started as an attorney in the Labor Division, was promoted in 2008 to the Kansas City Labor Unit Leader, then Deputy Chief of the Labor Division in 2014. In 2021 she was named Chief of the Labor Division in which capacity she continues to serve today.

Bio

• Ryan is an Assistant Attorney General in the Governmental Affairs section. He represents state agencies and boards in various tribunals throughout Missouri. He joined the office in the summer of 2022 after graduating law school.

Practice Areas

• Administrative Law
• Professional Licensing

Admitted to Practice

• Licensed to practice in Missouri, 2022

Education

• St. Louis University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2022

  Judge Dowd Excellence in Appellate Advocacy Award
  Note and Comment Editor for the St. Louis University Law Journal

• Xavier University, B.A., summa cum laude, English and Philosophy

Bio

• Gregory M. Goodwin, a native of Kirksville, Missouri, is the Chief Counsel for the Public Safety Section. Since joining the Attorney General’s Office in 2013, Gregory has appeared on the record in at least 57 of the 114 counties. Gregory has tried many civil and criminal cases to verdict, and has litigated cases in each district of the Missouri Court of Appeals, the Missouri Supreme Court, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, the Eighth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Practice Areas

• Criminal Law
• Appellate
• Extraordinary Writs

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2013
• U.S. District Court of Eastern and Western Missouri, 2013
• United States Supreme Court, 2020

Education

• Truman State University, B.S. Political Science, 2010
• University of Missouri Law School, 2013, Magna Cum Laude

Honors & Awards

• Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Litigation – 2015
• Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Client Services – 2017
• Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Client Services – 2022

Bio

• John Grantham began his career at the Fulton County Public Defender’s Office in Atlanta, GA. John then practiced criminal defense and public housing advocacy at the Georgia Justice Project. John joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2008 in the Criminal Appeals Section. In 2012, John moved to the Consumer Protection where he brings civil and criminal actions for violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, as well bringing actions related to nonprofits and securities fraud prosecutions.

Practice Areas

• Consumer Protection
• Nonprofit Regulation and Charitable Solicitations
• Securities Fraud

Admitted to Practice

• Georgia, 2002
• Missouri, 2008
• Federal District Courts of Missouri, 2020

Education

• Emory University, Bachelor of Arts, 1998
• Georgia State University College of Law, Juris Doctor, 2002

Professional Affiliations

• National Association of State Charity Officials

Honors & Awards

• Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Contribution, Consumer Protection 2019

Bio

• I joined the AGO in February 2018 and assigned to the Environmental and Agricultural Unit within the Governmental Affairs (GA) Section. I represent state agencies in various types of civil and administrative actions. But spend most of time representing the Departments of Natural Resources, Agricultural, and Public Safety.

  In June of 2020, I was detached to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri as a Special United States Attorney in support of the Missouri AG’s Safer Street Initiative, US DOJ Project Safe Neighborhoods, Operation Legend, and various other federal strike forces, prosecuting violent crimes.

  Prior to joining the office, I was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney with the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. After completing my academic work for my masters in environmental law, I was selected to clerk for the Deputy Director of Criminal Enforcement-General Counsel’s Office of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s, Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics, and Training in Washington D.C..

Practice Areas

• Environmental Law
• Agricultural Law
• General/Administrative Law

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2005
• US District Court-ED, 2018
• US District Court-WD, 2018

Education

• Saint Louis University School of Law, 2004
• Vermont Law School, 2005, Master in Environmental Law, Magna Cum Laude

Professional Affiliations

• Environmental Law Institute

Bio

• Before joining the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Han gained experience in diverse areas of legal practice, including tax, criminal defense, and electronic discovery. While in law school, he worked as a pro se law clerk at the United States Courts for the Western District of Missouri.

  Mr. Han joined the Attorney General’s Office in February of 2022. He is committed to public service and strives to provide excellent representation on behalf of the State of Missouri and its citizens.

Practice Areas

• Financial Services

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2017

Education

• Westminster College, B.A. Political Science
• University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law, J.D., 2017, cum laude, ABA Negotiations Team, Christian Legal Society

Bio

• Ian grew up in Miami, Florida and came to Missouri for college and then law school. After graduating from law school, Ian worked as an Assistant Public Defender for seven years and then worked as Associate General Counsel for the Board of Nursing for five years. Ian joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2017 and works in the Financial Services Division.

Practice Areas

• Administrative Law
• Estates
• Missouri Incarceration Reimbursement

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2005

Education

• University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 2004
• Washington University, BA-Psychology, Minor-Biology, 1999

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar

Practice Areas

• Appellate Practice
• Criminal Law

Admitted to Practice

• Supreme Court of Missouri, 1985
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 1985
• United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 1985

Education

• University of Kentucky, J.D., 1985.
• University of Kentucky, B.A. Economics, 1981.

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar Association

Bio

• Tom is Unit Leader in the Governmental Affairs Section. He joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2017, and previously worked with the Department of Social Services, The Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Labor and Industrial Relation Commission.

  His practice areas include a variety of administrative proceedings, professional licensing, and guardianships. He has a particular specialty in the area of parental rights and is a frequent speaker and author on the topic. He lives in Columbia, Missouri with his wife Lillian, their children (James, Thomas, Devon, and Eryn), and a multitude of small animals.

Practice Areas

• Administrative Law
• Professional Licensing
• Parental Rights

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri Bar, 2014
• US District Court Western District of Missouri, 2018
• US District Court Eastern District of Missouri, 2018

Education

• University of Missouri – Columbia, School of Law – 2014
• Baker College – 2011

Bio

• Heather Hicks, a native of Saint Louis, Missouri, works in the Governmental Affairs section at the Missouri Attorney’s General Office. Prior to working at the Attorney General’s Office, Heather was employed or interned at the US Attorney’s Office, Liberty Mutual Insurance, a local law firm, and local prosecuting attorney’s offices. Heather’s wide range of experience allows her to confidently fit in the Governmental Affairs section that has both civil and criminal aspects.

  In her free time, Heather enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. Her favorite activities include going out for breakfast, traveling, spending time with extended family, baking cookies, or taking walks at local parks.

Practice Areas

• Governmental Affairs

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri Bar, 2022

Education

• Law School: Saint Louis University School of Law (May 2022), Juris Doctorate

  Honors: Graduated in the Top 20% of my class
  Activities: Elected as Representative for the Student Bar Association

• Undergrad: Pennsylvania State University
  Degree: Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Psychology

Bio

• Madeline, a southwest Missouri Native, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in Gender Studies and a minor in Psychology. In 2023, Madeline graduated magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, Wisconsin. During law school, Madeline served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Judge Duane Benton at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and the Honorable Justice Ann Walsh Bradley at the Wisconsin Supreme Court. After graduation, Madeline returned to her home state to join the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. In her free time, Madeline enjoys hiking, camping, and photography.

Practice Areas

• Litigation

Education

• University of Missouri. B.A. in Gender Studies Minor in Psychology. December 2019. Graduated summa cum laude. Dean’s List all semesters.
• University of Wisconsin Law School. J.D. May 2023. Graduated magna cum laude. Dean’s List all semesters.

Bio

• Rachael is the Deputy Chief Counsel for the Labor Division. She originally joined the AG’s Office in 2008 as an intern in Jefferson City. After law school, Rachael started as an AAG in the Labor Division in St. Louis. She became a unit leader in 2015, and Deputy Chief Counsel in 2021. Her area of specialization is workers’ compensation. Rachael is also a Recruitment Director for the AG’s office.

Practice Areas

• Labor – workers’ compensation

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri; 2008

Education

• Truman State University; BA in political science; 2005
  Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Fraternity
  President’s Honorary Scholarship; President’s Combined Ability Scholarship; Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship
• Saint Louis University School of Law; JD; 2008
  Dean’s Scholar; SLU Law Mentor; Student Ambassador

Honors & Awards

• AG Award for Excellence in Administration and Management; 2018
• AG Award for Exceptional Service; 2019
• AG Award for Excellence in Administration and Management; 2021

Bio

• Kristen Shively Johnson joined the Attorney General’s Office, Criminal Appeals Division, in July of 2019 as an Assistant Attorney General. She is a Jefferson City native who attended the University of Missouri-Columbia for both her undergraduate and juris doctor degrees. After graduating from law school in 2015, Kristen clerked for the Honorable Mary R. Russell of the Supreme Court of Missouri for two years, and then joined Cook, Vetter, Doerhoff, & Landwehr P.C. in Jefferson City, where she practiced as an associate in civil litigation.

Practice Areas

• Appellate Law
• Criminal Law
• Civil Litigation

Admitted to Practice

• Supreme Court of Missouri, 2015

Education

• University of Missouri School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2015, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Associate Editor of the Missouri Law Review
• University of Missouri-Columbia, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish, 2012, summa cum laude

Professional Affiliations

• Elwood L. Thomas American Inn of Court – Associate Member (2018-2020)
• Leadership Academy of The Missouri Bar – Member (2018-2019)
• Jefferson City Rotaract – Member and Local Service Chair (2017-2019)

Honors & Awards

• David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award, Missouri Bar Foundation

Bio

• Brannon Jordan was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Jordan has practiced criminal law on both the prosecution and defense sides, has handled both trial and appellate litigation, and has tried cases in six different states. He joined the Attorney General’s Office in October 2022. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Practice Areas

• Special Prosecutions

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri (2022), Kentucky (2017), Alabama (2014)
• Colorado (2012), U.S. Supreme Court (2016)

Education

• University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 2012, Dean’s Scholar
• Hillsdale College, B.A., 2005, Magna Cum Laude

Bio

• A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Karen Kramer served as a law clerk for Missouri Supreme Court Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. and Missouri Supreme Court Judge Edward D. ‘Chip’ Robertson, Jr. Ms. Kramer then took a position with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, where she has served as an assistant attorney general in the Criminal Appeals Division since 1997.

Practice Areas

• Criminal Law
• Appellate Law

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 1995
• Supreme Court of the United States, 2009

Education

• University of Nebraska-Lincoln, B.A. in English, 1987, graduated magna cum laude

• The American University, Washington, DC. M.A. in Public Communications, 1989, graduated cum laude

• Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, MO. J.D., 1995, graduated top 15% in class.

Honors & Awards

• David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award 2001

Bio

• Maria Lanahan is a Deputy Solicitor who handles appeals and high-stakes litigation. She has argued cases before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Missouri Supreme Court, and the Missouri Court of Appeals in addition to trial courts.

  Her prior experience includes clerking for the Honorable Raymond Gruender on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and for the Honorable Brian Zahra on the Michigan Supreme Court. She has also worked as a business litigation associate at Thompson Coburn LLP and as a senior manager counsel in litigation for Charter Communications Inc.

Practice Areas

• Office of the Solicitor General

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2013
• Illinois, 2014

Education

• The University of Chicago Law School, JD, 2013
  The University of Chicago Law Review, Articles Editor
• Gonzaga University, BA Economics, BA Political Science, 2009
  Summa Cum Laude

Bio

• Born and raised in St. Louis, Matthew J. Laudano now lives and works in Mid-Missouri. He served previously with the Attorney General’s Office from 2011–2016, and as in-house counsel to the Office of Administration and the Department of Health and Senior Services. He is a proud alumnus of Drum Corps International, and has worked with the award-winning Jefferson City High School Drumline.

Practice Areas

• Civil Litigation
• Administrative Law

Admitted to Practice

• Supreme Court of Missouri, 2007
• U.S. District Court for Western District of Missouri, 2013
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2023

Education

• J.D., cum laude, University of Maryland School of Law (2007)
• B.A., English, University of Missouri-Columbia (2002)

Honors & Awards

• Chair, Mo. Bar Administrative Law Cmte. (2016-18)
• AGO Award for Client Service to St. Louis Co. Fam. Ct. (2014)

Bio

• Jason Lewis is Chief Counsel of the Governmental Affairs Section in the Attorney General’s Office. He has led the Section since 2021 after previously serving as Assistant Deputy Attorney General for Special Litigation and working in other roles in the Office. Jason joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2016. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law at the University of Missouri Law School, through which he teaches and directs the law school’s practicum program in the Attorney General’s Office.

  Jason has experience through all stages of civil litigation, including trials and appeals. He has argued over two dozen cases in appellate courts, including five at the Supreme Court of Missouri.

  Jason earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. Following his graduation from law school, Jason was an attorney at a large law firm in St. Louis practicing labor and employment law. During law school, Jason worked as a judicial intern to a United States District Court Judge and as a legal intern for the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C. Prior to his career as an attorney, Jason worked for a few years in university admissions at Washington University and at Columbia University in New York.

Practice Areas

• Administrative Law
• Constitutional Law
• Appellate Litigation

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2014
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri (2019)
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (2014)

Education

• Washington University in St. Louis, BSBA, 2007
  – Student body Treasurer
  – Delta Sigma Pi
• Washington University in St. Louis, JD, 2013

Professional Affiliations

• Washington University in St. Louis, Alumni Board of Governors
• Washington University in St. Louis, Executive Chair of Alumni and Parents Admission Program
• Missouri Bar, Vice Chair of Administrative Law Committee

Honors & Awards

• U.S. Presidential Management Fellows Program, Finalist
• Missouri Lawyers Weekly’s “Up and Coming” award
• Missouri Attorney General’s Awards for Excellence in Litigation and Excellence in Written Advocacy

Bio

• John Lynch is an assistant attorney general. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, he practiced in insurance defense, and pension law.

  He came to the office in 1990. Starting out, he served in the Litigation Division, trying cases in federal and state courts. In the 2000’s, he moved to the Financial Services Division where he represents the Department of Social Services in child support-related litigation. He has waged appeals in federal and state courts. He has been an instructor in office CLE.

  He has represented the Departments of Corrections, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Social Services. He has also represented state juvenile officers, and the Highway Patrol.

Practice Areas

• Expungements, state court
• Child support litigation, state court
• Civil rights defense, federal court

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 1986
• Illinois, 1979
• U.S. Dist. Court, E.D. Mo., 1990
• U.S. Dist. Court, W.D. Mo., 1986
• U.S. Dist. Court, S.D. Ill., 1987
• U.S. Dist. Court, N.D. Ill., 1979
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, 1987
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 1979

Education

• Harvard College, A.B., cum laude, 1976
• Notre Dame Law School, J.D., 1979

   

Professional Affiliations

• St. Louis County Bar Association
• Federalist Society
• Toastmasters, Kirkwood, Missouri chapter

Bio

• Dan McPherson joined the AGO in March 2013. He attended law school following a 13 year career as a broadcast journalist in Iowa and Missouri. Dan spent seven years in the private practice of law in Jefferson City before joining the AGO. He initially worked in the Governmental Affairs Unit, representing medical licensing boards, before joining the Criminal Appeals Unit in August 2004.

  Dan has handled more than 900 appeals in the Missouri Supreme Court and in all three districts of the Missouri Court of Appeals. He has authored or co-authored articles appearing in the Drake Law Review, Creighton Law Review, and Journal of the Missouri Bar.

Practice Areas

• Appellate Practice
• Criminal Law

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 1996
• United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, 1998
• Supreme Court of the United States, 2000

Education

• University of Missouri, BJ, 1980
• Drake University, JD with Honors, 1996
  Academic Achievement Award for top grade in Evidence class
  Associate Editor, Drake Law Review

Professional Affiliations

• Jefferson City Breakfast Rotary
• Elwood L. Thomas Inn of Court, Past Member
• Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity

Honors & Awards

• AGO Guardian of Justice Award, 2019
• AGO Best Brief Award, 2010; 2013

Bio

• Justin Mettlen joined the Attorney General’s Child Support Unit in September 2006. While with the Child Support Unit, Mr. Mettlen appeared for Missouri Department of Social Services in the circuit courts of 32 Missouri Counties as well as argued cases in the Western and Eastern Districts of the Missouri Court of Appeals. Mr. Mettlen served as a Unit Leader for the Child Support Unit between 2017 and 2022 managing attorneys and staff across the AGO’s Jefferson City, Kansas City, and Springfield Offices. Having developed an expertise in the areas of child support law and administrative law, Mr. Mettlen is regularly invited to speak at the Missouri Bar Association’s Family Law Conference and the Missouri Child Support Enforcement Association’s annual conference. Mr. Mettlen transferred to the AGO’s Litigation Section in 2022, where he serves as senior counsel representing various state agencies.

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2005

Education

• Washburn University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2005
• University of Kansas, B.A., History and Political Science, 2002

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Child Support Enforcement Association

Bio

• Jeremiah earned his law degree from Brigham Young University in 1998, graduating summa cum laude and serving as lead articles editor for the Law Review. Following law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable C. Arlen Beam of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He then practiced with the law firm of Bryan Cave LLP. At Bryan Cave, Jeremiah was lead trial and appellate counsel in numerous cases and served as chair of the Kansas City Missouri Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Committee and in many other community organizations.

  From private practice, Jeremiah accepted the appointment as Deputy Solicitor General in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. In that capacity he argued more than 40 cases in the Supreme Court of Missouri alone, and tried numerous cases to judges and juries throughout Missouri, including the representation of statewide officers. After serving in the Attorney General’s Office, Jeremiah accepted the position as General Counsel to the Supreme Court of Missouri. In that capacity he worked with the Court on every opinion handed down, provided counsel to judges throughout the state of Missouri, and reviewed all proposed civil and criminal rules and instructions.

  Jeremiah and his wife Rebecca have five children and six grandchildren and live near Liberty, Missouri. He is active in his church – the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – and in many community organizations.

Practice Areas

• Appellate
• Constitutional Law
• Civil Right and Employment Litigation

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 1998
• Kansas, 1999
• United States Supreme Court, 2007

Education

• University of Central Missouri, BA in Political Science, 1995
  Magna Cum Laude
  Outstanding Political Science Student
  Outstanding Arts & Sciences Student
  Varsity Football Letterman
  University Symphony, Violin
  Senator, Student Government Association
  President, Mace & Torch Honor Society
  Helen Gilbert Leadership Award
  Robert I Jaquith Law Scholarship
  Study Abroad, Budapest University of Economics, Hungary
• Brigham Young University Law School, Juris Doctor, 1998
  Summa Cum Laude, graduating #2 in class
  Order of the Coif
  Lead Articles Editor, Law Review
  Best Brief, Moot Court Competition
  Legal Research and Writing Award
  ABA State and Local Government Award
  Model U.N., Chief Justice, International Court of Justice

Professional Affiliations

• Supreme Court of Missouri Historical Society, Past President
• Eighth Circuit Bar Association, Past President
• J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Past International Chair

Honors & Awards

• Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly Award for Largest Settlement Negotiated
• Missouri Bar Pro Bono Publico Award
• Douglas M. Beck Service Award

Bio

• Born and raised in Kansas City. A Chiefs fan long before being a Chiefs fan was cool.
  Also was an Assistant General Counsel at the Department of Health and Senior Services, attorney for Missouri State Parks at the Department of Natural Resources, and attorney for the Missouri Medicaid Audit & Compliance Unit at the Department of Social Services.
  Enjoy traveling.

Practice Areas

• Governmental Affairs

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri 1993

Education

• University of Missouri – Columbia, BS, 1985
• University of Missouri – Columbia – JD, 1993

Bio

• Drake grew up in Bentonville Arkansas and lived there until he graduated from Bentonville High School in 2014. After high school, Drake attended Missouri State University to study Finance. After graduating, he went back to Arkansas where he graduated from Arkansas School of Law in 2022, after which he came to work at the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Throughout law school Drake worked for several criminal defense firms, including the Criminal Clinic as a student practice attorney. In his free time Drake enjoys spending time outdoors, watching all things Razorback, and traveling.

Practice Areas

• Estate Recovery
• Civil Litigation
• Medicaid

Admitted to Practice

• Colorado, 2022
• Missouri, 2023

Education

• University of Arkansas School of Law (2019-2022) – J.D.
  -Phi Alpha Delta: Treasurer
  -Sports & Entertainment Law Society: President
  -Board of Advocates: Associate
• Missouri State University (2016-2019) – Bachelor’s of Finance

Bio

• Ryan Murray joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2022 after 4 years in private practice for civil litigation. He concurrently serves in the Missouri Army National Guard as a Judge Advocate. Ryan resides in Columbia, Illinois with his wife and dog where he is also a firefighter for the Columbia Fire Protection District.

Practice Areas

• Litigation

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2018
• Illinois, 2022
• Federal District Courts

Education

• Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville, Bachelor of Business Administration, 2015, Student Senator, President Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Southern Illinois University School of Law, Juris Doctorate, Moot Court Board

Bio

• Arvids “Arv” started his career by serving in the United States Army after high school. Subsequent to his honorable discharge, he graduated from The Ohio State University. He then earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa College of Law and Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from University of Tulsa. Arv recently held the designations of Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) and Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM).

  Arv’s background includes personnel management consulting, counseling/therapy, practicing law in the private sector with Shook, Hardy and Bacon on product liability litigation, and public service with Missouri State Government. He has served as General Counsel for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, dealing with healthcare facility regulation and licensure, public health and senior/disability issues, and as Deputy Director of the MFCU.

  Prior to returning the AGO, Arv served as Vice-President of Risk Management and Patient Safety at Healthcare Services Group (HSG), professional liability insurance provider. During his tenure at HSG, he also served as HSG’s compliance officer, executive director of the Hospital Association Team and the Hospital Self-Insurance Fund of Missouri, both workers compensation trust funds. Arv provided educational seminars and medical-legal advice to physicians, hospitals, practice administrators and other healthcare professionals.

  Arv is active in professional and community organizations. He currently is a mediator/arbitrator for the Missouri Bar Fee Dispute Resolution Program and the Missouri Bar Complaint Resolution Program. Previously, he served as the Vice-Chair of the Missouri Bar’s Health and Hospital Law Committee.

  Currently, he is serving his fourth term as the Board President for Mid-Missouri Legal Services (MMLS) which provides free civil legal services to low income individuals and veterans in 11 counties in central Missouri. He also served as the Board Chairman for the Jefferson City Rape and Abuse Crisis Services (RACS) for 3 years and was on the board for 10 years. He is also past president of the Rotary Club of Jefferson City and has served as the Club’s Youth Exchange Officer for more than 10 years.

Practice Areas

• Healthcare Fraud

Education

• University of Tulsa, JD, College of Law, 1993
• University of Tulsa, Masters of Arts, Clinical Psychology, 1994

Bio

• Emily K. Price grew up on a 110-acre farm in Rosebud, Missouri. She went to private school from Pre-K through high school, but switched gears for college and attended University of Missouri – Columbia (Mizzou) beginning in 2014. In May of 2018, Emily graduated magna cum laude from Mizzou with two Bachelor of Arts degrees – one in Sociology with a Criminal Justice emphasis, and one in English with a Creative Writing – Fiction emphasis. After graduating Mizzou, Emily was awarded the St. Thomas More Honors Scholars Full Tuition Scholarship to cover the cost of her attending St. John’s University School of Law in Queens, NY, beginning in August 2018. Emily then moved to Queens and began law school at St. John’s, where she got experience working for the New York State Division of Human Rights, the Domestic Violence unit of the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, an employment law firm, and an insurance law firm. Emily received her J.D. in June of 2021, and took and passed the July 2021 Uniform Bar Examination.

  Following the Bar, Emily began searching for a full-time prosecutorial position where she could put her knowledge, passions, and talents to good use helping others, and that was when that she was fortunate enough to get an offer to come back home to Missouri AND fulfill her dreams, working as an Assistant Attorney General for the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit here at the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Emily has been a part of the team on June 13, 2022.

  In her free time, Emily likes reading, writing, drawing, running, swimming, cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals, and caring for her two kittens, Sherlock & Watson.

Practice Areas

• Medicaid Fraud
• Domestic Violence
• Employment Discrimination & Labor Law

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri Supreme Court, 2022

Education

• St. John’s University School of Law – Queens, NY – J.D., June 2021.
  Recipient – St. Thomas More Honors Scholars Full-Tuition Scholarship
  Associate Articles Editor – Journal of Civil Rights & Economic Development (JCRED)
  Senior Advocate – Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute Mock Trial Team
  Secretary – Children’s Rights Society
  Member – Student Bar Association; Women’s Law Society; Criminal Law Society; Public Interest Center; International Law Society Labor Relations & Employment Law Society.

• University of Missouri – Columbia, MO – B.A. in English; B.A. in Sociology; Multicultural Certificate, May 2018.
  Magna Cum Laude in Sociology, Magna Cum Laude with University Honors in English.
  Recipient – Dean’s List Honors, eight of eight semesters
  Member – Mizzou Mock Trial Team, Honors College

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar

Honors & Awards

• St. Thomas More Honors Scholars Full-Tuition Scholarship

Bio

• After two years of service as a judicial law clerk at the Missouri Supreme Court and one year working with a private firm, I joined the Missouri Attorney General’s Office in 1989. I served in the Litigation Division as a line attorney, team leader, deputy chief counsel, and acting chief counsel before leaving for the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in 2009.

  I served as general counsel of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations from 2009 until 2017. During my tenure as general counsel, I also served as acting chairman of the Missouri State Board of Mediation for two and a half years and, briefly, as acting director of the Department. After six months in 2017 as an Administrative Law Judge at the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation, I retired.

  I returned to the Litigation Division of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office on a part-time basis in 2017. Between my two times at the Attorney General’s Office I have done over 30 jury trials and over 60 appeals.

Practice Areas

• General Litigation, mostly defense

Admitted to Practice

• United States Supreme Court, 2000
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 1989
• United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 1986

Education

• University of Missouri – Columbia Law School, J.D., 1986
  Member of Missouri Law Review
  Order of the Coif
• University of Missouri – Columbia, M.A. in Economics, 1983
  Recipient of the Gregory Fellowship, 1982-1983
• University of Missouri – Columbia, B.A. in Economics and Political Science, 1982
  Recipient of Curators’ Scholarships, 1978-1982

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar Association

Honors & Awards

• Received Recognition of Excellence in Public Service Award from the Director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in 2012.
• Comment, Public Employee Labor Law in Missouri, 51 Mo. L. Rev. 715 (1986) awarded second place Guy A. Thompson Prize for best comments written for Missouri Law Review during 1985-1986 and chosen as a significant comment by West Publishing Co.
• Note, No Retrenchment in Affirmative Action, 50 Mo. L. Rev. (1985) chosen as a significant case note by West Publishing Co.

Bio

• After graduation from law school, Steven worked for a law firm in Kansas City and eventually entered the solo practice of law for several years. He served with the Public Defender’s Office before joining the AGO’s Public Safety Section in 2000 where he handled sexually violent predator and special prosecution cases. From there he served as General Counsel for a state agency, Director of Enforcement for the Securities Commission and joined the AGO’s Consumer Protection Section in 2016. In 2020, he became Deputy Chief and now serves as Chief Counsel since 2022.

Practice Areas

• Civil litigation
• Criminal prosecution
• Consumer Protection

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 1992
• Kansas, 1993
• USDC, WDMO, 1992

Education

• William Jewell College, BA, 1986
• UMKC Law School, JD, 1992

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar
• Kansas Bar

Bio

• I grew up in St. Louis with many friends and extended family close by. I was active in sports as well as Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts of America achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. I was active in track, basketball, and football, and even won the Class 2A Football State Championship in 2001. While in high school I also went on several adventure hikes in Colorado and New Mexico, ranging from 1 to 3 weeks at a time, as well as week-long bike trips and canoeing in the Canadian Boundary waters.

  Presently, I spend time with my wife attending the many sporting events of our son. Since 2022 I have been active starting a chess team at Forsyth School. We have lived in University City since 2013.

Practice Areas

• Workers Compensation
• Fraud and Noncompliance
• Appeals

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2009

Education

• New City School, elementary school, 1997
  John Burroughs School, 2003
• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2006
  Bachelor of Science in Physics – Science & Letters
  Minor in Philosophy
• University of Missouri School of Law, Columbia, Missouri, 2009

Bio

• Todd has worked in various roles within Missouri state government and private legal practice over the past 25 years. These postings include serving as the chief of staff and general counsel to the President Pro Tem of the Missouri Senate and as senior legislative and policy advisor for a former governor. Before joining the Attorney General’s team, Todd served as general counsel to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. A graduate of the University of Missouri Law School, Todd and his wife Kelly are parents to two teenage sons ages 19 and 15.

Practice Areas

• Administration
• Solicitor General Team

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri Supreme Court, 2004
• Federal District Court (Eastern and Western District of MO)

Education

• Mid-American Nazarene University, B.A. History – 1994
• University of Missouri – Columbia, M.A. Political Science – 1999
• University of Missouri – Columbia, J.D. – 2003

Professional Affiliations

• Federalist Society

Bio

• Josh joined the Attorney General’s office in July 2023.  He received his J.D. degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2018, graduating in the top 15% of his graduating class.  Prior to attending law school, he majored in philosophy and graduated summer cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri – Kansas City.  During his tenure as a law student, he became the Managing Editor of the Journal of Dispute Resolution at Mizzou for the 2017-2018 academic year.

  Josh has argued several appellate arguments in both the Western District and Supreme Court of Missouri, as well as litigated a variety of civil and criminal matters during his time in private practice before joining the Attorney General’s office.  During his first summer at law school, Josh had the honor of interning for the Honorable Karen Mitchell of the Western District Court of Appeals in Kansas City. He also had the privilege of assisting the Boone County Prosecution Office through the Prosecution Clinic at Mizzou. 

Bio

• Mr. Spillane is the deputy unit leader of the habeas unit. He joined Office of the Attorney General in July 1992. Mr. Spillane’s work generally deals with civil challenges to the fact or duration of confinement. This includes habeas petitions, declaratory judgment actions, civil rights litigation, and other writ litigation. His practice has included the state and federal trial courts, the Missouri Court of Appeals, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States and Missouri Supreme Courts.

Practice Areas

• Federal and State habeas corpus litigation
• Federal and State civil litigation
• Federal and state appellate practice

Admitted to Practice

• 1992 Missouri Supreme Court , U.S. Western District of Missouri
• 1994 United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• 1996 Supreme Court of the United States

Education

• 1992 UMKC School of Law J.D. Comment Editor UMKC Law Review. Assistant Editor The Urban Lawyer (an ABA section journal on urban law and land use). One comment published in the UMKC Law Review. Three case digests and one book review published in the Urban Lawyer. Highest grades in Labor Law, Securities Regulation, and Problems and Issues in the Death Penalty. Research assistant to a professor.
• 1988 Creighton University M.A. International Relations. 1984 Webster University Graduate School studied management. 1982 Rockhurst University B.A. political science.

Honors & Awards

• 2019 shared NAAG award for best U.S. Supreme Court brief of term
• 2017 Missouri Attorney General Award best brief; 2014 Attorney General’s Award for extraordinary contribution; 2013 Attorney General’s award for client service.
• 1985 Army Commendation Medal

Bio

• Richard initially joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2001. Prior to that, he served as an Assistant Public Defender in Jefferson City. He has also served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Cole County, returning to the AGO’s office in 2007. He has spent his entire career specializing in the practice of criminal law.

Practice Areas

• Criminal Appeals

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 1996

Education

• Missouri State University, B.S. 1993, Magna Cum Laude
• University of Illinois College of Law, J.D. 1996

Bio

• Jeff Suddy graduated with his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law in December 2021. While in law school, Jeff was the President and Director of Advocacy Relations for SLU Law’s Law Students for Veteran Advocacy (LSVA). He also spent time as an intern with the Jefferson County Circuit Court, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office. Before Law school Jeff spent eight years as an in-flight refueling operator in the United States Air Force before leaving to finish his B.A. in Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

  Jeff returned to the Attorney General’s Office in March, 2021 as a Habeas attorney in Public Safety. Recently he transitioned to being one of the office’s Special Prosecutors. In his free time, Jeff enjoys spending time with his fiance Renee and dog Gracie, cooking, woodworking, motorcycling and playing video games with friends and family.

Practice Areas

• Criminal Law

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2022

Education

• Saint Louis University School of Law, JD, 2021, Dean’s Scholarship, Law Students for Veteran Advocacy – President
• University of Massachusetts – Boston, BA-Political Science w/ Minor in Philosophy of Law, 2019, Dean’s List, National Political Science Honors Society, Undergraduate Student Government – Senator, Student Veteran’s Center – President, College Republicans – President

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar Association

Honors & Awards

• The Air Force Achievement Medal for Act of Courage – 2014

Bio

• Nicolas Taulbee joined the Missouri Attorney General’s Office in January 2009 in the Financial Services Division where he represented the Missouri Department of Social Services in state and federal court in cases involving paternity, child support, state debt, and other administrative law issues. In May 2016, he transferred to the Litigation Division where he defends agencies and individuals in state and federal court.

Practice Areas

• Constitutional law
• Employment law
• Tort law

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2008
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri, 2010
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 2012; U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, 2015

Education

• University of Iowa College of Law, Juris Doctor, 2008, Phi Delta Phi, Student Externship with Chief Judge Robert Pratt, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (January 2007-May 2007), Bordeaux Law Program (Summer 2006), Summer Institute in International and Comparative Law (Summer 2006)
• University of Central Missouri, Bachelor of Science in Political Science, 2005, Magna Cum Laude, Honors College, Student Government Association (2004-2005), Wrestling (2001-2002)

Honors & Awards

• 2013 Missouri Attorney General’s Excellence in Litigation Award

Bio

• Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Syd served as a Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney at the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. There, he focused on violent crimes, weapon offenses and homicides. Syd is an experienced litigator who has obtained successful trial verdicts on behalf of the State of Missouri before the jury, as well as the bench. In addition, Syd is also actively involved in the Springfield community and The Missouri Bar. He has served as the President of the Springfield Little Theatre Associate Board, Vice-President of the Southern Missouri Women Lawyers Association and as the Southern District Representative on The Missouri Bar’s Board of Governors.

Practice Areas

• Criminal Prosecution

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2016.

Education

• University of Missouri – Kansas City, School of Law, J.D., 2016
• Pittsburg State University, B.S. in Psychology, 2013

Professional Affiliations

• Vice-President, Southern Missouri Women Lawyers Association
• President, Springfield Little Theatre Associate Board
• Southern Appellate District Representative, The Missouri Bar’s Board of Governors

Honors & Awards

• Missouri Lawyers Media, Up & Coming – Public Service Award, 2023
• Springfield Business Journal, 40 under 40 Award, 2023
• Springfield Little Theatre, Frannie Award, 2023
• North Springfield Betterment Association, Community Betterment Award, 2018

Bio

• Matthew Tkachuk joined the Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General in July of 2022. A native of central New Jersey, he taught in the humanities and coached competitive speech and debate for a number of years before attending law school. Before moving to Missouri, he interned in the judiciary and in legal services, serving individuals with disabilities and low-income clients facing health, housing, and other challenges. As part of the Government Affairs section, Matthew defends Missouri’s statutes against constitutional challenges and represents state agencies in licensing, expungement, and other civil matters.

Practice Areas

• Government Affairs

Admitted to Practice

• Supreme Court of Missouri, 2022
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of MO, 2023
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of MO, 2023

Education

• Rutgers Law School, J.D., 2022. Articles Editor for Rutgers International Law and Human Rights Journal, Civil Justice Clinic.

• Rutgers Graduate School of Education, Ed.M., 2012.

  Rutgers College, B.A., English & History, 2011. Sigma Tau Delta (English Honor Society), Phi Alpha Theta (History Honor Society).

Honors & Awards

• Deborah T. Poritz Public Interest Fellow

Bio

• Keith joined the Missouri Attorney General’s office in July 2023 as an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Consumer Protection section. Keith has extensive experience in corporate law, commercial real estate and is an Air Force veteran where he served as an Airborne Cryptologic Linguist and Intelligence Officer. Keith enjoys a number of outdoor pursuits in his free time, including golf, tennis and pickle ball; hiking with his three Belgian Malinois dogs and experiencing new places and cultures across the world with his wife, Jessie.

Practice Areas

• Consumer Protection
• Business Law
• Real Estate

Admitted to Practice

• Supreme Court of Missouri, 2022

Education

• University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
  Juris Doctorate
  2015
• University of Utah
  BA Political Science
  2005

Bio

• Jessica L. Ward returned to the Attorney General’s Office in Springfield from private practice in December 2022. Jessica previously worked in the Attorney General’s Kansas City office as a Unit Manager in Financial Services, overseeing the Kansas City and Springfield Recovery teams. She has worked for the State of Missouri for over 10 years, having served as an Assistant Attorney General and an Assistant Public Defender II.

  After law school, Jessica served as an Assistant Public Defender II at the Lake of the Ozarks. She then joined the Attorney General’s office in Springfield in Financial Services. After this, she practiced in a class action litigation firm, before joining a firm specializing in personal injury, workers’ compensation and Social Security disability law. Jessica later opened Ward Law Office, LLC and enjoyed running her own firm before returning to the Attorney General’s Office in Financial Services, Recovery. Jessica moved to the Kansas City office and served as Unit Manager in Recovery from 2015 until 2022, when she left to enter private practice with a firm in Ozark, Missouri to serve on their litigation team before returning to the Attorney General’s Office to join their litigation division as Senior Counsel. In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her son, and her large dogs, hiking, reading, and traveling.

Practice Areas

• Litigation
• Administrative Law
• General Practice

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri, 2005
• United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Admitted 2008
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Admitted 2023

Education

• University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law, Juris Doctor with Electronic Commercial & Intellectual Property Law Certificate, 2005; University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law Dean’s List
• University of Missouri Science and Technology, Bachelor of Science in Psychology with emphasis in Neuroscience, Minors in Biological Sciences and English Literature; 2002;                                                                                                                         ▪ Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society Vice President and Member, University of Missouri – Rolla;
  ▪ Managed University of Missouri – Rolla Psi Chi chapter website, planned and coordinated activities, and assisted in acquiring funding for chapter;
  ▪ University of Missouri – Rolla Psychology Department Annual Leadership Award 2001 – 2002;
  ▪ University of Missouri – Rolla Dean’s List;
  ▪ University of Missouri – Rolla Distinguished Scholars Scholarship;
  ▪ University of Missouri – Rolla University Scholarship;
  ▪ Robert C. Byrd Scholarship for Academic Excellence

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar
• Springfield Metropolitan Bar

Honors & Awards

• The American Society of Legal Advocates, Top 40 Under 40 Litigation Lawyers 2016
• The National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, 2014 – 2017
• The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys: 10 Best 2014

Bio

• Clayton currently works in the AGO’s Governmental Affairs division, where he specializes in professional licensing and defending Missouri’s sex offender registry.

  Prior to joining the AGO, Clayton worked as general counsel for the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. While there, he developed an expertise in alcohol law and client communication.

Practice Areas

• Professional Licensing
• Administrative Law
• Constitutional Challenges

Admitted to Practice

• Missouri State Court, 2018
• Missouri Federal Court, Western District, 2022

Education

• Thomas Edison State University, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 2013

• Drury University, Master of Business Administration with an Emphasis in General Management, 2015

• Saint Louis University School of Law, Juris Doctorate with a Concentration in International and Comparative Law, 2018

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar Association
• Cole County Bar Association

Bio

• Morgan Westhues, a proud native of Fayette, MO, graduated magna cum laude from William Woods University in 2015 with a degree in Political/Legal Studies. Morgan was actively involved in many organizations in college, including mock trial team, University Ambassadors, President’s Twenty, and Chi Omega Sorority. Morgan began her legal education at the University of Missouri School of Law in 2015, where she enjoyed serving as Managing Editor of the Business Entrepreneurship & Tax Law Review and studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa. After graduating law school in 2018, Morgan worked as an associate attorney at Schreimann, Rackers & Francka, L.L.C. in Jefferson City, MO for the next five years, where she specialized in civil defense litigation and insurance coverage. Morgan began working as an Assistant Attorney General in July 2023 where she currently serves as the Unit Leader of the Labor Division in the Jefferson City office. While Morgan has had many accomplishments throughout her lifetime thus far, her biggest accomplishment is the numerous, close friendships she’s made along the way.

Practice Areas

• Workers’ Compensation Defense

Admitted to Practice:

• Court, Year: Missouri, 2018
• Court, Year: S. District Court, Western District of Missouri, 2021

Education

• University of Missouri School of Law, Columbia, MO

  Juris Doctor, May 2018

  Honors: Morgan B. Westhues, Comment, Overtime Overruled: Why the New Department of Labor Overtime Regulations Should Not Go Into Effect, 2 Bus., Entrepreneurship, & Tax L. Rev. 227 (2018); 2016 Client Counseling Competition Champion; 2016 Spring Moot Court Top 10 Oral Advocate

  Activities: Study Abroad: Cape Town, South Africa; Managing Editor of the Business Entrepreneurship & Tax Law Review; Women’s Law Association; Black Law Students Association; Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society; School of Law Ambassador

• William Woods University, Fulton, MO

  Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude, May 2015

  Major: Political/Legal Studies Minor: English

  Honors: Dean’s List (4 semesters), Who’s Who Among Students; Political/Legal Studies Distinguished Scholar; Outstanding Greek Freshman of the Year; Chi Omega Model Initiate

  Activities: Phi Alpha Delta; Mock Trial Team Member; University Ambassador, President’s Twenty; Omicron Delta Kappa; National Society of Leadership and Success (Sigma Alpha Pi); Students Today Alumni Tomorrow; Chi Omega Sorority

Professional Affiliations

• The Missouri Bar, Member (September 2018)
• Cole County Bar Association, Member (September 2018)

Bio

• Ashley Wicks grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. She attended the University of Arkansas where she graduated with an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Anthropology. In 2023, Ashley graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law with her Juris Doctorate. After graduation, she joined the Litigation Section of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General.

  Ashley enjoys spending time with her family and puppy, Theo. She also coaches baton twirling in her free time, an activity she can do with her entire family. Additionally, she enjoys music, the holiday seasons, and spending time with loved ones.

Practice Areas

• Litigation

Admitted to Practice:

• Missouri, 2023

Education

• Saint Louis University School of Law, Juris Doctorate, May 2023
• University of Arkansas, Honors Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Anthropology, May 2020