In spring 2013, Missouri State magazine profiled three alumni who serve together on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, which covers 44 counties. We have since learned that a fourth person on that seven-member court is also a Bear! Judge Nancy Steffen Rahmeyer earned a master’s in education from MSU, and went on to become the first woman appointed to the Southern District appeals court. She is now the most senior judge on that court.
You originally planned to teach history. How did you go into law? I thought about going to law school after college, but I had no money. So I took a bunch of civil-service tests, and that led to a job in Mexico, Mo., at the Division of Family Services, where I investigated child abuse and neglect. I transferred with DFS to Springfield. Next, I decided to go to Missouri State for a master’s in education. Even after that degree, I kept thinking: I really want to go to law school. I taught part-time for a year at Parkview High School, but by then I had taken the LSAT and scored well enough to get in, and decided this was the time to do it! At that time, I was 32, we had two young kids, nobody knew whether I’d be a success or not — but it was something I really wanted. I started law school almost 10 years to the day after getting my bachelor’s, and graduated when I was 35. I play tennis with a woman who asked me about going to law school. She said, “I’m 50. That’s too old.” I said, “You’re talking to the wrong person if you want to be discouraged, because I’m going to tell you do it! … You will spend your years doing something you love.” So you found your passion in law. I loved law school, absolutely loved it, from the first day. When I got out of school I clerked for two years for a federal judge. Then I practiced law for about 15 years, and was a part-time municipal judge in night court — that was fun. Then I decided to apply for the Court of Appeals.
I was selected in 2001 and I still love being here.
man had committed the murder. The 18-year-old was not involved.
What was it like to be the first female judge on your court? We had judges who had never even hired a female clerk. They had never appeared in front of female judges. They had no women partners. They had no women associates in their law firms. So there was a learning curve for everyone.
You met MSU President Clif Smart in law school. What would you tell alumni about him? His brother, John, was in my section so I met Clif right away. I also played intramural sports with Clif ’s wife, Gail. I have to tell you, Gail Smart is one of the most impressive athletes you’re going to ever hope to meet! I have nothing but good to say about Clif. We knew he was really smart even back then. He’s a real straight-shooter. He’s going to do what he thinks is right. I don’t know if his sense of humor has come out at MSU — he has a really dry, hearty sense of humor! I was tickled he got the job of president, because I know he’s not just needing this as a resume-filler — he didn’t have to take that job. He cares about Missouri State and he’s going to make it the best he can make it.
Has the profession changed for women since then? Yes, in a huge way. Lawyers now have practiced with female partners or associates. They have appeared in front of female judges. This has not been a shock for them. My court now has a second female member, just within the past year. How would you explain your job? A civil or criminal case comes up on appeal, and that means someone is contesting the ruling by the trial court. We read and write most of the time. We read all the legal briefs and background of the case, and then write our opinions based on the law. We can agree or dissent with the first ruling, and with each other, in our opinions. How does your job make a difference? Every case is a story about someone’s life. I can tell you about an example of a case where an appeal changed a life. I wrote a dissent in a case in which an 18-year-old was convicted of murder, serving a life sentence. There was just something about the evidence that did not pass muster for me. The state Supreme Court said he deserved a new trial because of evidence that had not come in at the first trial. Ultimately, the prosecutor dismissed the charges. The person who had really shot the man confessed that he and another
What do you do outside work? I have played tennis with an informal group for about 35 years. I love golf. I bike, too, mostly for exercise, but a group of my tennis friends and I have done part of the RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). My favorite place to be, just for relaxing, is Table Rock Lake. How do you stay connected to Missouri State? I have lived in the Missouri State neighborhood for years, and I go to Tent Theatre and the Public Affairs Conference. And, of course, athletics. There’s a group of my tennis buddies who go to Lady Bear games. I am proud that Missouri State is our school. Various MSU athletes have tutored at Rountree Elementary, which was my family’s school. Both my kids love the Missouri State neighborhood so much that they have moved back into it.
“Gail and I have known Nancy since law school, and we have the utmost regard for her as a lawyer, as a judge and as a person. Her successful career reflects well on Missouri State University and the educational foundation she received here.” — Missouri State President Clif Smart M I S S O U R I S TAT E FA L L 2013
37