United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri

8th Circuit St. Louis, Missouri

About This Court

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri is one of two federal district courts in Missouri and sits within the Eighth Circuit. Its jurisdiction covers the eastern portion of the state, including the St. Louis metropolitan area, which is the commercial and population center of Missouri. The district handles a broad range of civil and criminal federal matters arising from this densely populated urban region.

St. Louis serves as the principal seat of the court, and the district is known for its significant docket volume reflecting the concentration of major corporations, financial institutions, and federal agencies operating in the area. The court also has divisions serving communities outside the immediate St. Louis area, extending its reach across eastern Missouri.

The Eastern District has historically been involved in notable civil rights, antitrust, and complex commercial litigation, consistent with the character of a large urban federal court. It operates under the Local Rules of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, which practitioners must follow in addition to the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure.

Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Federal Rules of Evidence, along with the court's local rules. Bankruptcy cases are handled by the companion Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Missouri.

Divisions

Eastern Division (St. Louis), Northern Division (Hannibal), Southeastern Division (Cape Girardeau)

Caseload

The Eastern District of Missouri carries a high-volume docket that includes substantial civil rights litigation, complex commercial disputes, and federal criminal matters. Its St. Louis location generates significant corporate and class action filings.

Bar Admission

Attorneys must be admitted to the bar of the Eastern District of Missouri to practice before the court, which requires good standing in the Missouri bar or another state bar and compliance with the court's local admission rules. Pro hac vice admission is available for attorneys not admitted to the district.

Clerk's Office

111 South 10th Street, St. Louis, MO 63102

(314) 244-7900

Active Judges 19

Name	Appointed By	Confirmed	Law School
Henry Autrey	George W. Bush	2002	St. Louis University School of Law
Zachary Bluestone	Donald J. Trump	2025	Harvard Law School
Stephen Clark	Donald J. Trump	2019	St. Louis University School of Law
Joshua Divine	Donald J. Trump	2025	Yale Law School
Edward Filippine	Jimmy Carter	1977	St. Louis University School of Law
Audrey Fleissig	Barack Obama	2010	Washington University School of Law
Jean Hamilton	George H.W. Bush	1990	Washington University School of Law
Maria Lanahan	Donald J. Trump	2025	University of Chicago Law School
Nanette Laughrey	William J. Clinton	1996	University of Missouri School of Law
Stephen Limbaugh	George W. Bush	2008	Southern Methodist University School of Law (now Dedman School of Law)
Catherine Perry	William J. Clinton	1994	Washington University School of Law
Sarah Pitlyk	Donald J. Trump	2019	Yale Law School
John Ross	Barack Obama	2011	Emory University School of Law
Matthew Schelp	Donald J. Trump	2020	University of Missouri School of Law
Rodney Sippel	William J. Clinton	1997	Washington University School of Law
Cristian Stevens	Donald J. Trump	2025	University of Missouri School of Law
E. Webber	William J. Clinton	1995	University of Missouri School of Law
Ronnie White	Barack Obama	2014	University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
Brian Wimes	Barack Obama	2012	Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Local Rules

90 local rules extracted from this court's published rules. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.

Civil Rules 33

Rule	Title
Rule 10.01	Scope of Admiralty Rules
Rule 10.02	Actions in Rem: Special Provisions
Rule 10.03	Actions in Rem and Quasi in Rem: General Provisions
Rule 2.01	Files and Filing
Rule 2.02	Forms to be Filed in Civil Cases
Rule 2.03	Cases Removed to the District Court
Rule 2.04	Demand for Jury Trial
Rule 2.05	In Forma Pauperis
Rule 2.06	Self-Represented Litigant Actions
Rule 3.01	Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26
Rule 3.02	Filing of Discovery and Disclosure Materials
Rule 3.03	Interrogatories, Document Requests, and Requests to Admit
Rule 3.04	Motions Concerning Discovery and Disclosure
Rule 4.01	Motions and Memoranda
Rule 4.02	Oral Argument or Testimony Regarding Civil Motions
Rule 4.03	Motions to Consolidate
Rule 4.05	Submission of Motion Package (Rule Repealed)
Rule 4.07	Motion for Leave to Amend
Rule 5.01	Case Management Tracks
Rule 5.02	Track Preference
Rule 5.03	Rule 16 Scheduling Conference
Rule 5.04	Case Management Order
Rule 6.01	Mediation and Early Neutral Evaluation
Rule 6.02	Referral to Alternative Dispute Resolution and Duties of Participants; Appointment of Counsel
Rule 6.03	Neutrals
Rule 6.04	Communications Concerning Alternative Dispute Resolution
Rule 6.05	Reporting Requirements
Rule 8.01	Dismissal for Failure to Prosecute
Rule 8.02	Motions for Attorney's Fees
Rule 8.03	Bill of Costs
Rule 8.04	Assessment of Jury Costs
Rule 9.02	Social Security Appeals
Rule 9.04	Condemnation Cases

Criminal Rules 3

Rule	Title
Rule 13.01	Probation and Pretrial Service Records
Rule 3.05	Disclosure and Motions in Criminal Cases
Rule 9.03	Petty Offenses

General Rules 27

Rule	Title
Rule 1.01	Title and Citation
Rule 1.02	Application and Numbering of Local Rules; Local Patent Rules
Rule 1.03	Effective Date
Rule 1.04	Relationship to Prior Rules
Rule 1.05	Modification of Time Limits
Rule 1.06	"Judge" Defined
Rule 11.01	General Authority of United States Magistrate Judges
Rule 13.02	Use of Photographic, Recording and Communication Equipment
Rule 13.03	Bonds and Other Sureties
Rule 13.04	Deposit of Funds with the Court
Rule 13.05	Sealing of Materials Filed in Civil and Criminal Cases
Rule 2.07	Divisional Venue
Rule 2.08	Assignments of Actions and Matters
Rule 2.09	Disclosure Statements in Civil and Criminal Cases
Rule 2.10	The Electronic Case Record and Filing; Exemption
Rule 2.11	Signatures on Electronic Filings
Rule 2.12	Service in Electronic Cases
Rule 2.13	When Electronic Filings are Completed
Rule 2.14	Technical Failure and Filing Deadlines
Rule 2.15	Procedures for Electronic Filing
Rule 2.16	Hyperlinks in Electronically Filed Documents
Rule 2.17	Redaction of Personal Data Identifiers
Rule 4.04	Communication with the Court
Rule 4.06	Motions for Transfer of Venue – Process
Rule 7.01	Jurors and Juries
Rule 7.02	Trial Exhibits
Rule 9.01	Bankruptcy Court Matters

Attorney Rules 7

Rule	Title
Rule 12.01	Attorney Admission
Rule 12.02	Attorney Discipline
Rule 12.03	Attorney Admission Fee Non-Appropriated Fund
Rule 12.04	Former Law Clerks
Rule 12.05	Law Student Practice
Rule 12.06	Appointed Counsel's Fees and Expenses in Civil Cases
Rule 12.07	Attorney's Obligations Regarding Appeal

Patent Rules 20

Rule	Title
1-1	Title
1-2	Scope and Construction
1-3	Effective Date
2-1	Governing Procedure
2-2	Confidentiality
2-3	Relationship to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
2-4	Certification of Disclosures
3-1	Disclosure of Asserted Claims and Preliminary Infringement Contentions
3-2	Document Production Accompanying Disclosure of Asserted Claims and Preliminary Infringement Contentions
3-3	Preliminary Invalidity Contentions
3-4	Document Production Accompanying Preliminary Invalidity Contentions
3-5	Disclosure Requirement in Patent Cases for Declaratory Judgment
3-6	Final Contentions
3-7	Amendment to Contentions
3-8	Willfulness
4-1	Exchange of Proposed Terms and Claim Elements for Construction
4-2	Exchange of Preliminary Claim Constructions and Extrinsic Evidence
4-3	Joint Claim Construction Chart and Joint Prehearing Statement
4-4	Completion of Claim Construction Discovery
4-5	Claim Construction Briefs

View all local rules →

Other Courts in the 8th Circuit

District of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota District of Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska District of North Dakota Fargo, North Dakota District of South Dakota Sioux Falls, South Dakota Eastern District of Arkansas Little Rock, Arkansas Northern District of Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa Southern District of Iowa Des Moines, Iowa Western District of Arkansas Fort Smith, Arkansas Western District of Missouri Kansas City, Missouri