The Civil Litigation Section vigorously defends the State of Missouri from suit. This includes the defense of state officials, agencies and individual employees throughout all levels of government. The Section often leads the office’s largest and most complex litigation and protects Missouri’s laws from statutory or constitutional challenges.
Experienced attorneys appear in federal and state court, in various practice areas, such as class-actions, employment, personal injury, civil rights and other civil actions. The attorneys also effectively maneuver through all stages of litigation, developing pre-litigation strategies, directing discovery, taking a case to trial and persuasively writing and arguing appeals.
The Section represents many state agencies, as well as law enforcement, defending officers and troopers of the Highway Patrol, Department of Corrections, Capitol Police, and the Kansas City Metropolitan Police Department.
They also work closely with clients to manage and assess risk. Counseling and training provides clients valuable tools to better understand current liabilities and avoid future costs.
The Civil Litigation Section is headquartered in Jefferson City and has additional offices in Kansas City and St. Louis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of cases does the Civil Litigation Section handle?
Attorneys in the Civil Litigation Section are involved in personal injury lawsuits, contract actions, employment law cases, and civil rights cases. The Civil Litigation Section also represents the State and its agencies in cases challenging the constitutionality of Missouri Statutes.
Who does the Civil Litigation Division typically represent?
The Civil Litigation Section represents the State of Missouri, its employees, and state agencies in civil litigation.
Does the Civil Litigation Section represent all state employees?
No. Some state employees work for agencies that are not represented by the Missouri Attorney General but are represented by their own in-house counsel. The Civil Litigation Section also does not represent state employees if the conduct for which they are being sued was not connected with their duties on behalf of the state.
What agencies, and their employees, does the Civil Litigation Section represent?
The Civil Litigation Section represents most of Missouri’s executive departments in civil litigation. The Civil Litigation Section also represents Executive Branch office-holders, the legislature, and state judges.
In what courts does the Civil Litigation Section practice?
The attorneys of the Civil Litigation Section practice before every level of Missouri state courts and federal courts, from state circuit and federal district courts, to state and federal appeals courts, to the Missouri and United States Supreme Courts.