Mary Russell presides over first majority female Missouri Supreme Court

Mary Russell is one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this year’s honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com.

Mary Russell, chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, is in the top position for the second time in her 19 years on the court.

It's because she has been on the court so long that her turn came around again last year, she said.

Her previous term as chief justice was from July 2013 through June 2015.

"It's not very frequent because we rotate the position amongst ourselves and everybody get an opportunity to have a two-year term as chief justice," Russell said. "But when you've been here a long period of time, then the opportunity comes around a second time."

Russell was highlighted as one of the Women of the Year for 2024 by the USA Today Network.

Growing up in Hannibal, Russell was valedictorian of her high school class. Her undergraduate degrees in communication and print media are from what is now Truman State University. She was a reporter for her hometown newspaper for a short time.

Her law degree is from the University of Missouri.

After working in private practice, Russell was appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. She became the third woman to serve on the state supreme court in September 2004.

Paving the way

"I think the first, really the most important person that's paved the way for all women to be on the bench is Ann Covington," Russell said. "She was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court in Missouri. She began her tenure here in 1989. And because she got the appointment, then it really opened up the doors and made it seem more possible that other women could follow in her footsteps."

She called Covington, of Columbia, like a godmother to other women judges.

"As the first woman on the Supreme Court of Missouri, she did a lot to help the rest of us put on a robe as well," Russell said.

On the national stage, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor set the stage for all women as the first woman on the Supreme Court. Russell attended O'Connor's funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

"I was in law school when she was appointed to the United States Supreme Court," Russell said. "And that also had a huge impact on the female law students. You know, it made us think there really is a place for us in this profession."

Covington and O'Connor showed her that things were changing for women in the U.S., she said.

Proudest moment

Her proudest moment is recent, she said.

"Probably my proudest moment was this fall when our court became majority female," Russell said. "That was beyond emotion for me.

"Again, growing up at a time when your gender determined which jobs you could apply for and working in a profession that has always been predominantly male, to think that our court for the first time in its history — since 1821 — now had four women on our bench and majority female for the first time was unbelievable to me."

She never thought it would happen in her lifetime and it happened when she's chief justice, she said.

Guiding principles

A guiding principle for Russell comes from Luke 12:48 in the Bible: "To whom much is given, much is required."

"I certainly have been blessed with a lot in my lifetime," Russell said.

Her family has provided her with a good foundation, she said. She's been blessed with a reasonable amount of intelligence and a good education.

"So I feel that I have the responsibility to give back and to help others, whether it's through my service on the bench of through various speaking opportunities," Russell said. "I have to help teach people about civics to help them better understand how our courts work, our function to protect constitutional rights, our function to interpret the law, not to our own preference, but to follow the words written in statutes or in our constitution."

Mentoring young people is another important aspect of that principle, she said.

"I feel I have a responsibility to help other people fulfill their career dreams," Russell said.

Another guiding principle is the Golden Rule, she said.

"I always try to treat other people as I wish I would be treated," Russell said. "So I think about that all the time. No matter what your station in life is, I try to be kind to others, to be sensitive to their needs."

She feels the best when she has helped others, she said.

Who she looks up to

Asked who she looks up to now, she said she doesn't stop looking up to Covington.

"I think about how she would have handled situations," Russell said.

Another she looks up to is the late George Gunn, a judge she clerked for when she graduated from MU Law School.

"Many times I ask myself, what would Judge Gunn do?" she said. "Because he was so well-regarded, a solid judge and very collegial."

Working with others requires compromise and Gunn was a model for that, she said.

Advice to your younger self?

"Relax," she said. "Don't worry so much. Things are going to work out."

She was worried about her financial peace in her early years of practicing law, worrying about enough business coming through the door.

"In reflection, I probably should have just relaxed and not worried so much," Russell said.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Women of the Year Mary Russell 2-time chief of Missouri Supreme Court