2008

Judge Breckenridge was appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court in September of 2007. Prior to being appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court, she was appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District in 1990 and served until 2007. Prior to that, she served as an associate circuit judge in Vernon County from 1982-1990.

Judge Breckenridge received a bachelor of science degree, with honors, and juris doctorate degree, from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Judge Breckenridge has received numerous awards and honors, including: Women Lawyers’ of Greater St. Louis Honoree, 2008; Association of Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City, Judicial Recognition Award 2007; Judge of the Year, 1999; Special Achievement Award, 1993-1994; Daily Record’s Legal Leader Award, 2005; Woman of Distinction Award, Ozark Area Girl Scout Council, 1996; University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law Citation of Merit, 1996; The Missouri Bar President’s Award, 1994; Rotary International of Nevada’s Citizen of the Year Co-Awardee with husband, Bryan Breckenridge, 1989; and Nevada Business and Professional Women’s Woman of the Year Award, 1985.

Judge Breckenridge has a strong commitment to community service, including serving as co-chair of the Missouri Gender Fairness Implementation Committee, a member of the Missouri Task Force on Gender and Justice, and she was a Council of State Governments’ Toll Fellow. She is the past president and a former board member of Mattie Rhodes Center. She is a former board member of the University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Cabot West Side Clinic and Home Health Advisory Board in Nevada.

Her professional memberships and activities include being a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of the Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges, the National Association of Women Judges, the Association of Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, The Missouri Bar, and the American Bar Association.

On The Missouri Bar’s 2008 Appellate Court Evaluation Survey, attorneys who responded to survey questions rated Judge Breckenridge greater than 4.0 on a scale of 5.0 in all nine categories.

Judge Breckenridge’s highest rankings were for treating parties equally regardless of race, sex or economic status and being courteous toward attorneys.

The committee also reviewed a sample of opinions authored by Judge Breckenridge since her appointment to the Missouri Supreme Court in 2007. Judge Breckenridge’s opinions are well-reasoned and organized, clearly written, and closely adhere to precedent as well as to constitutional and statutory law.