Date:               December 19, 2022
Contact:         Gregory J.  Linhares, Clerk of Court, 314-244-7890

Effective December 16, 2022, Hon. Stephen R. Clark assumed the role of Chief U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri for a seven-year term. He succeeds Hon. Rodney W. Sippel in that role. The Chief Judge serves as the chief executive of the District Court and all three of its Court units: the Clerk’s Office, Probation Services, and Pretrial Services, and is responsible for ensuring local Court coordination with local federal agencies, the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, the Eighth Circuit, and Judicial Conference of the United States.

Judge Clark is a 1991 graduate of St. Louis University School of Law and a 1988 graduate of the University of Notre Dame.  Before taking office as District Judge, he was the Managing Partner of Runnymede Law Group, a national litigation practice representing clients in trials and appeals of complex business, commercial and constitutional litigation.

During his tenure as Chief Judge, Judge Sippel led the Court through a rapid transition to a mobile environment due to the COVID pandemic and coordinated with all stakeholders to ensure maintenance of Court operations throughout that time. He also served in a national leadership role as Chair of the Judicial Branch Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States.  Judge Sippel is a graduate of the University of Tulsa and received his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Although his tenure as Chief Judge is complete, Judge Sippel will remain an active District Judge on the Court.

Chief Judge Clark stated, “I’m grateful for the leadership that Judge Sippel has provided our Court during his seven years as Chief Judge, including his steady and levelheaded guidance throughout the pandemic.  We’re fortunate that he will continue to serve on the Court for years to come. Judge Sippel’s wise mentorship has well prepared me to take on the responsibilities of Chief Judge, and I look forward to serving the bench, the bar, and the public along with our Court’s talented team of professionals.”