Goodman nominated for Court of Appeals
December 16, 2020
Jack Goodman, Presiding Circuit Judge, 39th District.
Sheila Harris
According to a December 3 announcement by the Missouri Court System, Judge Jack Goodman, presiding judge of the 39th Judicial Circuit, which encompasses Barry, Lawrence and Stone Counties, was selected as a nominee to fill a pending judicial vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District.
Goodman, who resides in Monett, has presided as judge on the 39th Circuit since 2013.
He is one of three nominees recently selected for a pending vacant position on the Missouri Court of Appeals, which will be left open by Judge Daniel E. Scott’s retirement on December 31.
To be considered as a nominee, Goodman went through an application process and more than four hours of public interviews. After approximately two hours of deliberations and seven rounds of balloting by members of the Appellate Judicial Commission, Goodman was selected as a nominee, along with Judge David A. Dolan, of Sikeston, and Judge Laura A. Johnson, of Ozark.
The commission submitted the panel of nominees to Governor Mike Parson, who has 60 days to make an appointment to fill the vacancy.
Goodman, a 1995 graduate of the University of Missouri, and a 1998 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law, credits his grandmother’s early influence with his choice to practice law.
“As a widowed young mother, my grandmother earned her law degree through correspondence courses while waiting tables at a local diner,” Goodman said in his application for the nomination. “She didn’t plan to practice law, but empowered herself to find her own answers to important questions in her life.
“As a grandmother, she impressed upon me the essential value of fair laws that are also applied fairly.
“Although my grandmother passed away while I was in law school, her example left a lasting impression on my career, including an abiding awareness that to violate that trust placed in me by a client, constituent or one seeking justice in the court could devastate lives and undermine the system of justice upon which we all depend.”
Since becoming a member of the bar in 1998, Goodman has served the citizens of Missouri in various capacities, including private legal practice and three years in the Missouri House of Representatives, followed by seven years on the Missouri Senate.
Because Goodman believes the Constitution must be protected for all if it is to have any effect for any, he has worked to ensure that all Missourians stand on equal ground in Missouri courts of law.
Goodman believes his early employment experiences, where he worked with the public from the age of 12 and served people across the socioeconomic spectrum, gave him an appreciation for the vast diversity of circumstances that exist across the state.
“While the American opportunity to succeed exists for all of us, some are provided more tools through education, upbringing, personal role models and relationships,” Goodman said. “Consequently, they have more access and wherewithal to recognize and maximize the opportunity, while others face greater hurdles in the path to opportunity. Understanding this has affected every aspect of my legal career.”
If chosen for the position on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, Goodman will join six other justices, all who have been appointed under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan. Each judge serves a 12-year term and sits on a three-member panel, with membership rotating annually.
The Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, has its offices in Springfield and maintains jurisdiction over 44 counties in southern Missouri.
According to a December 3 announcement by the Missouri Court System, Judge Jack Goodman, presiding judge of the 39th Judicial Circuit, which encompasses Barry, Lawrence and Stone Counties, was selected as a nominee to fill a pending judicial vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District.
Goodman, who resides in Monett, has presided as judge on the 39th Circuit since 2013.
He is one of three nominees recently selected for a pending vacant position on the Missouri Court of Appeals, which will be left open by Judge Daniel E. Scott’s retirement on December 31.
To be considered as a nominee, Goodman went through an application process and more than four hours of public interviews. After approximately two hours of deliberations and seven rounds of balloting by members of the Appellate Judicial Commission, Goodman was selected as a nominee, along with Judge David A. Dolan, of Sikeston, and Judge Laura A. Johnson, of Ozark.
The commission submitted the panel of nominees to Governor Mike Parson, who has 60 days to make an appointment to fill the vacancy.
Goodman, a 1995 graduate of the University of Missouri, and a 1998 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law, credits his grandmother’s early influence with his choice to practice law.
“As a widowed young mother, my grandmother earned her law degree through correspondence courses while waiting tables at a local diner,” Goodman said in his application for the nomination. “She didn’t plan to practice law, but empowered herself to find her own answers to important questions in her life.
“As a grandmother, she impressed upon me the essential value of fair laws that are also applied fairly.
“Although my grandmother passed away while I was in law school, her example left a lasting impression on my career, including an abiding awareness that to violate that trust placed in me by a client, constituent or one seeking justice in the court could devastate lives and undermine the system of justice upon which we all depend.”
Since becoming a member of the bar in 1998, Goodman has served the citizens of Missouri in various capacities, including private legal practice and three years in the Missouri House of Representatives, followed by seven years on the Missouri Senate.
Because Goodman believes the Constitution must be protected for all if it is to have any effect for any, he has worked to ensure that all Missourians stand on equal ground in Missouri courts of law.
Goodman believes his early employment experiences, where he worked with the public from the age of 12 and served people across the socioeconomic spectrum, gave him an appreciation for the vast diversity of circumstances that exist across the state.
“While the American opportunity to succeed exists for all of us, some are provided more tools through education, upbringing, personal role models and relationships,” Goodman said. “Consequently, they have more access and wherewithal to recognize and maximize the opportunity, while others face greater hurdles in the path to opportunity. Understanding this has affected every aspect of my legal career.”
If chosen for the position on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, Goodman will join six other justices, all who have been appointed under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan. Each judge serves a 12-year term and sits on a three-member panel, with membership rotating annually.
The Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, has its offices in Springfield and maintains jurisdiction over 44 counties in southern Missouri.