Rodney Sippel

Rodney Sippel

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Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (senior status)

Tenure

2023 - Present

Years in position

2

United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri (senior status)

Tenure

2023 - Present

Years in position

2

Prior offices

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri

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United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri

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Education

Bachelor's

University of Tulsa, 1978

Law

Washington University School of Law, 1981

Personal

Birthplace

Jefferson City, Mo.

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Rodney W. Sippel is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. He is also a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. He joined both courts in 1997 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. Sippel served as the chief judge of the court from 2016 to 2022. He assumed senior status on January 28, 2023.

Biography

Education

Sippel was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, and graduated from the University of Tulsa with his B.A. in 1978. Sippel earned his J.D. from Washington University School of Law in Missouri in 1981.

Professional career

Sippel worked as a private practice attorney in Missouri from 1982 to 1993, and again from 1995 to 1997. Sippel served as an administrative assistant to former Congressional Democrat Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri from 1993 to 1995.

Judicial career

Eastern District of Missouri

On the recommendation of U.S. House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Sippel was nominated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri by President Bill Clinton on May 15, 1997, to a seat vacated by Stephen Limbaugh. Sippel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 8, 1997, on a Senate vote, and received commission on November 12, 1997. Sippel served as the chief judge of the court from 2016 to 2022. He assumed senior status on January 28, 2023.

Western District of Missouri

On the recommendation of U.S. House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Sippel was nominated to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri by President Bill Clinton on May 15, 1997, to a seat vacated by Stephen Limbaugh. Sippel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 8, 1997, on a Senate vote, and received commission on November 12, 1997. He assumed senior status on January 28, 2023.

Noteworthy cases

NuvaRing settlement (2014)

In February 2014, Judge Sippel approved a $100 million class settlement over the use of NuvaRing, a birth-control device that sometimes led to injurious side effects, including death. Merck, the maker of the device, would have been able to negotiate a new settlement if less than 95 percent of claimants opted in. The 95 percent threshold was reached in June 2014, and the settlement was finalized between the parties.

Articles:

• New York Post, "$100M settlement over Merck’s NuvaRing now final," June 5, 2014
• USA Today, "Nuvaring case finalized in $100M settlement," June 5, 2014

See also

• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri

External links

• Eastern District of Missouri, "Rodney W. Sippel - United States District Judge"
• Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Rodney W. Sippel"

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri 1997-2023	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri 1997-2023	Succeeded by -

Missouri courts

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Federal courts:

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri

State courts:

Missouri Supreme Court • Missouri Court of Appeals • Missouri Circuit Courts • Missouri Municipal Courts

State resources:

Courts in Missouri • Missouri judicial elections • Judicial selection in Missouri