Three alumni serve together on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District
Francis remembers when Missouri State was Southwest Missouri State College; Bates lived in Freudenberger House when it had a pool; and Burrell’s father and grandfather also attended Missouri State, making Burrell’s son the fourth generation in his family to pass through Missouri State.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?
Burrell: My father was a lawyer and prosecuting attorney and he loved his job. I thought it was interesting, but when I first graduated from Missouri State, I went into radio work. Before I went into radio, I had the experience of dreading waking up to go to a job I didn’t enjoy. I knew that my dad loved his job, so I eventually decided to go to law school and I love this job. It has been terrific to me.
Bates: I worked at Buffalo High School’s radio station and then interned at KSMU when I came to Missouri State. I wanted to graduate with a degree in communications and work television and radio. My last semester, the professor of my broadcast management class told us: “If you would rather do something more interesting, you ought to be the attorneys that represent broadcast managers.” That stuck with me, to the point that I eventually decided to go to law school.
Francis: When I was a sophomore in high school, there was a violent murder case on the news. I felt so horrible for the widow and her young children. I thought to myself, “Who is helping these people?” Then I saw the lawyers were trying to help her by trying to convict the one responsible. And I thought, “Maybe that’s what I want to do.”
What are you passionate about, and how has that shaped your career?
Burrell: Being a judge, you have the ability to make sure people of any stature and any background get a chance to have a fair trial and a fair hearing. It energizes me every day to think that you have these basic rights as an American citizen to have your dispute decided fairly, no matter who you are.
Francis: Probably 95 percent of the people who come to a lawyer have just had something horrible happen to them. We lawyers are trained to analyze the case, but we tend to forget that these are everyday people who are facing the most serious problems they will ever face. For me, I would be most satisfied to be remembered not as the smartest or wisest judge, but that people would say, “I know I got a fair shake with Judge Francis, even if I didn’t win my case.”
How did Missouri State prepare you for where you are now?
Burrell: I would put my education against the educations of a lot of other people I met in law school from well-known universities. I think Missouri State is a great educational institution, and my family has put our money where our mouth is. My son is the fourth generation of our family to go through Missouri State.
Bates: I really enjoyed the strong communication and English departments. I actually tested out of 24 credit hours going into Missouri State, but I specifically declined some of that English credit because I wanted to take as many communication and English classes as I could. The skills I developed at Missouri State help me every day with writing and speaking, whether to groups of people, judges, juries or writing for any of those groups.
What are some fond memories of Missouri State?
Bates: I think my fondest memory was living in Freudenberger House, because at the time it had its own pool. My best friend from Buffalo graduated at the same time I did, so we came to Missouri State and got a room assignment together. I spent my whole college career in a dorm room with my best friend, and it was just fantastic.
Burrell: I lived off-campus and drove in for classes. Because of that, I did not have the kind of experience that produced those long-lasting friendships that those who lived together in the dorms had, which I regret. So, when my son went to Missouri State, it was important to me that he live on campus.
What makes Missouri State unique to you?
Francis: What I call “the human touch.” I remember particularly the fact that any time I sought out a professor for help, I felt like I was welcome. I appreciated that human element on the professors’ side and a willingness to reach out to students with questions or needs.
Are you excited about Missouri State’s future?
Burrell: Clif Smart, who we know very well, is charting a good course right now and I’m very excited about the things he has done.
Bates: I also wanted to commend the University for putting Clif Smart in as the president. Clif and I practiced a lot together for a number of years and I know him to be one of the most hard-working, intelligent guys out there. I have great confidence in his abilities.
Francis: I’m also in agreement about Clif Smart’s leadership abilities. I think the direction of the University is good, and I’m certainly proud to call myself an alumnus of Missouri State.
About the job of a Missouri appellate judge
The Missouri Court of Appeals handles appeals from the circuit courts — if a party loses in circuit court, that party may file an appeal. In the Court of Appeals, there are no juries or witnesses; parties argue their cases before the judges. Court of Appeals judges are recommended for their jobs by a nonpartisan commission, then appointed by the governor or a commission. Once a judge has served in office for at least a year, his or her name is placed on a ballot and people vote whether to retain him or her. The Missouri Court of Appeals is divided into three districts: Eastern, Southern and Western. The Southern District has offices in Springfield and Poplar Bluff. It has seven judges and covers 44 counties, from Barton County in the west to Pemiscot County in the southwest.
— Info from Your Missouri Courts website
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