Jefferson City, Missouri – Catherine L. Hanaway formally took over as Missouri’s 45th Attorney General on Monday morning in a private ceremony at the Missouri Supreme Court Building. Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ginger K. Gooch, who has known Hanaway for a long time and used to be a law partner, gave the oath of office. She chose to be sworn in on her son John’s Bible, marking a personal touch to the historic occasion.
After the ceremony, Hanaway talked about how heavy her new job was. She stressed her promise to fight crime, keep Missouri families safe, and protect constitutional rights.
“My commitment is to serve Missourians by enforcing the law as written and upholding the rule of law. There is much to do, and I am ready to begin,” she stated, adding that her focus will be on justice, safety, and accountability.
Hanaway has worked in both public and private service for decades, and each job has strengthened her commitment to keeping families safe across the state. She started her political career in the Missouri House of Representatives, where she made history by being the first and only woman to be elected Speaker of the House. While she was in office, she worked to pass laws that would make people safer, protect Second Amendment rights, and hold the government more accountable.
She continued to serve at the federal level as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. There, she personally worked on high-profile cases of fraud, healthcare fraud, and white-collar crime. She was in charge of thousands of criminal and civil cases and led a team of more than 100 lawyers and detectives in one of the busiest federal districts in the country.
Hanaway also built a name for herself in the business sector as the Chair of Husch Blackwell LLP, a national law firm based in Kansas City with more than 1,000 lawyers. She was the first woman to hold that job and led the company through a time of rapid expansion while also managing difficult lawsuits related to financial wrongdoing and regulatory issues.
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Creighton University and a Juris Doctor degree from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. She has continued to be an active civic leader even after her professional life. She has served on various boards, such as the St. Louis Regional Crime Commission and the Regional Business Council.
Hanaway lives in St. Louis with her husband Chris and their two kids, Lucy and John. As she takes on the role of Attorney General, she brings with her both personal and professional expertise that comes from her long-standing dedication to protect the people of Missouri and enforce the law.
