Missouri State Public Defender

08/28/2026

Thank you to Missouri Justice Fellows Hannah Headrick, Alex Griffin, and Molly McDermott for your enthusiastic and dedicated advocacy! Your service to the rural offices in our state has been a huge benefit both to our clients and the system as a whole.

Image descriptions: 3 MSPD "Missouri Justice Fellow Spotlight" graphics with headshots of the 3 Missouri Justice Fellows listed above; the first one reads, "Hannah Headrick: JD, Washburn University; Rolla Trial Office"; the second one reads, "Alex Griffin: JD, University of Missouri; Lebanon Trial Office"; and the third one reads, "Molly McDermott: JD, University of Illinois, Chicago; Cape Girardeau Trial Office"

08/23/2026

It's not too late to RSVP for our free, virtual Careers Q&A event tomorrow! PublicDefender.mo.gov/careers-webinar2026

From 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. (on Mon. 8/24), you'll have the chance to meet with MSPD team members and learn more about both attorney and non-attorney careers at Missouri State Public Defender. You can come and go if you are not available for the full hour, and we welcome attendees at any stage of their education or careers.

MSPD representatives:
Gina Hall: Human Resources Manager
Annie Legomsky: Director of Client Advocacy
Leslie Richins: Investigator
Gina Savoie: Chief of Staff

Let us know you plan to attend at the link above so that you can receive the Zoom meeting details.

Image description: "Tomorrow - Careers Q&A" with the details & link above and four photos in purple circle frames (a person with a microphone, an audience at a training, a person shaking hands, and a person in a courtroom) on a yellow background

08/21/2026

Need help getting an ID? Come to our FREE ID Clinic! This event is open to anyone in the community. Visit our website at PublicDefender.MO.gov/Free-ID-Clinic for details and sign-up.

Date: Thursday, September 10th, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: St. Louis City Trial Office - Carnahan Courthouse, Room 104 (Building address: 1114 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63101)

Thank you to our event partners: League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis and the Ashrei Foundation

Walk-ups welcome, but signing up early at the link above helps us get you in and out faster. Appointments usually take 15 minutes to 1 hour depending on what you need (can include driver's license, non-driver ID, city ID, and/or birth certificate). You will not get your ID on the same day, but this clinic will help you get everything prepared so the process is faster and easier.

What to Bring:
Any documents you already have (old IDs, SS card, birth certificate, legal paperwork, etc.) plus a reliable mailing address that is not a P.O. Box.

Image description: a light green flyer reading "Free ID Clinic: Get support with getting your ID or birth certificate - open to everyone!" with the event details above and a QR code to the sign-up form linked above with illustrations of IDs; a contact for questions is listed at the bottom: Gwen Wotawa - [email protected] or (314) 340-7595 ext. 247

08/17/2026

Just ONE WEEK until our online Careers Q&A! Bring your burning questions about working at MSPD - or just chat and listen - during any part of the hour that you are available: Monday, August 24th, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. on Zoom. RSVP on our website to receive the meeting link and reminders: PublicDefender.MO.gov/careers-webinar2026

We welcome attendees at any stage of their education or careers, and we're excited to tell you more about both attorney and non-attorney roles.

Image description: "Careers Q&A on 8/24" graphic with the event details above, RSVP link, and "Meet MSPD team members! Gina Hall: Human Resources Manager; Annie Legomsky: Director of Client Advocacy; Leslie Richins: Investigator; Gina Savoie: Chief of Staff" with a photo of 10 MSPD team members smiling at the camera

08/06/2026

RSVP for an informal careers Q&A with MSPD team members and leadership: PublicDefender.MO.gov/careers-webinar2026 Whether you have specific questions about MSPD, our work, or our state benefits OR whether you just want a chance to listen and chat in a selection of breakout rooms, you are welcome to join us for any part of the hour. We'll be on Zoom from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST on Monday, August 24th. RSVP to receive the meeting link and reminders.

Now is an especially great time to join the MSPD team with our new starting salary of $75,000 for first year attorneys. You can also expect cutting-edge and comprehensive training opportunities and pathways for career advancement. View employment details: PublicDefender.mo.gov/Employment

Image description: MSPD event graphic reading, "Curious about a future at Missouri State Public Defender? Careers Q&A" with the details and RSVP link above and a large group photo of MSPD team members

08/05/2026

Check out this spotlight of Kasey Ervin by The Missouri Bar! Kasey is an amazing Assistant Public Defender in MSPD's Kansas City trial office. As she states in her feature, "Strengthening support for new lawyers strengthens the legal profession as a whole and improves the quality of representation and service provided to clients and the public.”

news.mobar.org/kasey-ervin-finds-connection-through-the-missouri-bar-leadership-academy

Meet Kasey Ervin, a member of the 2025-2026 Missouri Bar Leadership Academy class! A graduate of the Washington University School of Law, Ervin is an assistant public defender in the Kansas City trial office of the Missouri State Public Defender.Every year, The Missouri Bar brings together a select....

07/31/2026

Did you catch our announcement about the new starting salary of $75,000 for all first year attorneys at Missouri State Public Defender? We are already seeing the positive impact of this shift, and we can't wait to continue sharing the good news.

Find more details at: PublicDefender.MO.gov/mspd-is-taking-major-steps-forward-with-our-fy2027-budget

[Image description: A survey quote from an MSPD legal intern reading, "Now, a position with MSPD is my #1 goal after law school" in a quote frame with a photo of a person in a yellow blazer pointing up at the text]

07/31/2026

Public Defender Jennifer Daniels is working to get her client Joan Aufderhide released after spending 27 years in state custody for tampering with a motor vehicle, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 7 years. Missouri's state mental health system has been overwhelmed for decades, both with cases like Joan's and with individuals who are still waiting for treatment. MSPD's Director of Client Advocacy, Annie Legomsky, explains "We don't want to be locking people up and throwing away the key, especially for vulnerable people...It costs us a lot of money and harms our communities."

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/column/tony-messenger/article_671bbe84-786a-4f6b-aab4-ce26d97193f8.html

70-year-old woman has been in custody of the Department of Mental Health for 27 years for nonviolent crime.

07/29/2026

Missouri has executed more than half the people it has sentenced to death from 1972 to 2025, compared with 18% nationwide (ranking second). "Matthew Crowell, director of the Missouri State Public Defender system, told the House committee that his office at the time had 11 death penalty cases out of over 91,000 cases. Capital cases require specialized divisions that cost $2.5 million in salaries annually. Total expenses associated with a case, including investigations and experts, range from $1 million to $4 million, he said."

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/07/29/death-penalty-missouri-execution-rate

Over half of death row prisoners in Missouri have been executed. Nationally, the rate is 18%.

07/20/2026

Come join the MSPD Training Team! We are seeking an experienced attorney to help develop and deliver statewide training programs that support the professional growth of attorneys and staff across Missouri. If you have a passion for mentoring, teaching, and strengthening public defense through high-quality training, we would love to see you apply by our priority deadline of July 22nd. (Applications will still be accepted on a rolling basis following that date until position is filled.)

Visit the Careers page of our website to access open positions: PublicDefender.MO.gov/Employment

Image description: MSPD graphic reading "We're hiring a Deputy Training Attorney. Learn more and apply" with the link above and a photo of a lecturer next to a photo of an MSPD training audience