Hon. Robert S. Cohen

Judge Cohen was the longest serving Judge in the State of Missouri, with more than 41 years of service at the time of retirement. Prior to joining the Bench, Judge Cohen was engaged in the private practice of law with the firm of Thomas, Busse, Weiss, Cullen and Godfrey, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Judge Cohen was elected magistrate Judge, Second District, St. Louis County in 1974 and he was re-elected in 1978. Judge Cohen served as an Associate Circuit Judge, Division 32, until 1994, when he was appointed Circuit Judge, Division One by Governor Mel Carnahan. In the years 1998 through 2000, Judge Cohen was the Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court of St. Louis County. In 1985, Judge Cohen was honored to serve as the President of the St. Louis County Bar Association.  Judge Cohen’s articles have been published in the Journal of the Missouri Bar, the St. Louis Bar Journal, the Missouri Conservationist and the St. Louis Countian. He has authored chapters in Missouri Bar Continuing Legal Education desk books. Judge Cohen was a principal author of Missouri’s first mental health civil commitment statutes. He served on the Missouri Supreme Court ad hoc Court Security Committee, as well as the Missouri Bar Judicial Administration Legislative Review Committee. Judge Cohen received the Dudley C. Dunlop Distinguished Service Award in 2016 from the St. Louis County Bar Association.