Southeast professor to work on fellowship with state high court

A Southeast Missouri State University professor will help launch a fellowship with the Missouri Supreme Court that one of its judges hopes will continue to improve court resources.

Dr. Mary Moore Johnson, a professor of business law, will work with the court starting in August. Johnson, who is also a lawyer, will be working to establish and expand educational programs for the court.

"I was wanting to serve both professions I have," said Johnson, who has been teaching at Southeast for 13 years.

For nine months, she will work with the Missouri Bar and the Coordinating Commission for Judicial Education, the organization that sets educational policy for the state judicial department. She will be a consultant to the commission and will be responsible for creating presentation materials for and training judicial speakers throughout the state.

"One of the goals would be to bring the public and the judges together because the judges serve the public," she said of the outreach program.

While working with the Missouri Bar she will develop curriculum for educators. She will also organize statewide events for Constitution Day and Law Day.

"It seems the more I talk with teachers throughout the education system, the more I discover that there is a lack of knowledge," she said. She said she hopes the project will create more opportunities for student internships and improve their access to courtrooms.

Johnson, who will be on sabbatical during the project, will also establish criteria to select future fellows.

Judge Patricia Breckenridge of the Missouri Supreme Court said the project evolved out of conversations with the professor. She said members of the court thought it was a novel concept.

"Because of her expertise in education, we think her insight into what are good educational tools would be helpful," Breckenridge said.

The commission already focuses on educating members of the judiciary, including judges and clerks, on how to serve the public. Johnson's project will create a better link with the public, she said.

Breckenridge said future fellows could develop projects in other areas, including computer science or with the Supreme Court Library.

"The focus of a fellow in the future could be related to what that person's interests are," she said.

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