JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri has named the first woman to serve as the Missouri Supreme Court’s clerk.
Betsy Ledgerwood AuBuchon took over the position, effective January 1, making her only the sixth person to hold the position in the last century.
“I am grateful and very humbled about the opportunity the Court has given me to serve a government I love and believe in,” AuBuchon said in a news release. “I visited Jefferson City for the first time with my grandmother for the Sophomore Pilgrimage, and it was one of the most memorable days of my life. Never could I have dreamed I would end up working in state government, let alone serving as clerk of the Supreme Court.”
The Alton, Mo. native is a graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia, with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism, a master of health administration, and her law degree. She worked as a consultant and general counsel for Behavioral Health Concepts Inc. before serving as a governmental consultant in the private sector more than a decade.
The Supreme Court hired AuBuchon in 2012 as commission counsel for the state’s Judicial Finance Commission and legislative liaison. She was then promoted nine months later to the newly created position of director of government relations and deputy counsel, where she aided in guiding budget negotiations for the judiciary, helping to schedule cases for argument, and helping oversee death penalty cases.
“During her time at the Supreme Court, Betsy AuBuchon has impressed everyone with her integrity, judgment, and knowledge,” Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge said. “She has earned the respect and trust of those with whom she has worked and is invaluable to the courts. The Court is grateful to have her as clerk, and is confident that she will be an exceptional leader of Missouri’s judicial system.”
AuBuchon succeeds Bill L. Thompson, who retired December 31 after nearly five years as clerk.
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
