Hon. Michael D. Burton

Michael D. Burton served as the presiding judge of the St. Louis County Circuit Court from February, 2020 to August, 2021, when he retired from the bench to attend a year-long leadership initiative at his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame.  He had been a judge on the St. Louis County circuit bench since 1999.  During that time, he presided over the Family Court for five years, the Domestic Violence Court for twelve years and the Treatment Court for three years. Burton served as a visiting judge for the Missouri Supreme Court and the Eastern District (of Missouri) Court of Appeals.

While on the bench, Burton presided over thousands of trials, hearings and settlement conferences.  Prior to joining the 21st Circuit Court, he tried approximately sixty jury trials, including three death penalty cases.

Burton has been an adjunct law professor for nearly thirty years.  He taught Trial Advocacy and   Pretrial Civil Practice courses at St. Louis University Law School for more than twenty years.  He taught Trial Advocacy and Advanced Criminal Practice courses at Washington University Law School for approximately fifteen years; for the past ten years, he taught an Evidence course at the W.U. Law School.

Judge Burton has lectured to the Missouri Judicial College for the past twenty years on topics such as Civil Equity, Criminal Law and Procedure, Domestic Violence, Jury Selection and Evidence.  Since 2008, he has trained judges and attorneys throughout the country, as a faculty member for the American Bar Association, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence.

Over the years, Burton has received recognition for his work on and off the bench, including the Judith Kaye Award from the American Bar Association, the Spirit of Justice Award from the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award from the Washington University School of Law, the Children’s Advocacy Award from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, the Clarence Darrow Award from the St. Louis University School of Law, the Legacy Award from Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, the Tom Cochran Community Service Award from the Missouri Bar and the Outstanding Young Lawyer of St. Louis County Award from the St. Louis County Bar Association.