As Judge Gloria Clark Reno prepares to become the first African-American woman to serve as a Circuit Court judge in St. Louis County, she says she understands the responsibilities that lay ahead and she is ready.
“I feel very fortunate and very honored that the governor appointed me to this position,” she said. “I will continue to work hard to make sure that I serve the citizens of St. Louis County with distinction.”
Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Reno, who has been an associate circuit judge for seven years, to the 21st Judicial Circuit Court position this month. No date has been set for her swearing in ceremony. In her new position, Reno will handle civil and criminal felony cases.
“She is very committed and dedicated,” said Former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronnie L. White, who has known Reno for 20 years.
“She has a great judicial temperament. I’m excited about how well she has progressed through her legal career, and she will continue to make substantial contributions to the law as the newest circuit judge for St. Louis County.”
Several African-American women, including Reno herself, have served in St. Louis County as associate circuit judges. Judges at this lower level hear misdemeanor cases, initial arguments and pre-trial hearings on criminal cases, and appeals from municipal courts in the county.
Judge Sandra Hemphill, Judge Brenda Stith Lofton and Judge Judy P. Draper all currently serve as associate circuit judges in St. Louis County.
African-American men who have preceded Reno as circuit judges in the county include Judge David Benson, Judge George Draper and Judge Michael T. Jamison. George Draper has since been appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals.
Like all of these judges, Reno was appointed by the governor from a list selected by a commission, as per the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan, which has been in effect since 1940, though county voters adopted it in the late 1960s. The plan is now a national model.
“The fact that I am a circuit judge today is a direct result of the plan,” Reno said.
“The Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan is very, very valuable. It removes politics and political influence from judicial selection and the administration of justice.”
Under the plan, judges are appointed from a candidate list prepared by a commission comprised of two non-lawyers, two lawyers and the chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals. They are then retained or rejected by the voters. Reno will be up for retention in 2010.
Reno said, “The Missouri Plan has resulted in creating a bench that represents all of the citizens who live in the St. Louis metropolitan area.”
Fulfilling a dream
Although Reno’s father, Cornelius Clark, always encouraged her dream of becoming an attorney, she became a high school English teacher at Maplewood Senior High School after she graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. When issues arose at the school, she talked to her father, and he reminded his daughter of her childhood dream.
“He said, `Why don’t you do what you’ve always talked about doing?’” she said.
“Both parents always encouraged us to go as far as we could in education. Education was the pinnacle. You couldn’t get too much education as far as he was concerned.”
Reno jokes that her father wanted her to become an attorney because she talked a lot as a child. She was the oldest girl of 11 children. Her father died in 1980.
Reno received her law degree from Saint Louis University in 1986 and has worked as an assistant public defender, senior associate, municipal judge and senior trial lawyer.
Larry Hale, principal at the Hale Law Firm, hired Reno in 1997 after at least five years of hinting to her about joining his firm.
“Gloria’s reputation came from the quality of her trial work,” Hale said.
“She was known for being aggressive and providing our clients with quality representation.”
‘A great believer in education’
Working hard, getting an education and striving for excellence was instilled in Reno and all of her siblings, she said, adding that all of them had the opportunity to attend college. “It’s a tribute to their sacrifice,” she said of her parents.
Her mother, Mattie L. Clark, attended what is now Harris-Stowe State University and worked in the St. Louis Public Schools for more than 30 years. Her father worked at the former Colorado Milling Company as a weigher. For them, education was the equalizer.
“Education is something that, once you get it, no one can take it away,” Reno said.
When Reno talks about education, public service and the importance of providing a role model for today’s youth, she sits a little taller and smiles.
“It is important for them to see a positive role model,” Reno said of youth. “They need to see that it is good to be smart and get an education.”
One of her fondest childhood memories is of her father sitting by the window every day reading the newspaper. “Dad taught me how to read,” she said. “He was a great believer in education.” And her mother made sure she and her siblings read books constantly.
Reno is passing on that love of education and reading to area youth. From 2002 to 2006, Reno volunteered as a truancy court judge in Wellston to serve as a role model for youth.
“I thought it was important for kids to see what education can do for you,” she said. “If you work hard, play by the rules, attend school on a regular basis and get good grades, you can achieve.”
In addition to volunteering with truancy court, Reno is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc. and is a board member of Cardinal Ritter Senior Services. Her church home is Olivet Missionary Baptist Church on New Halls Ferry.