Attorney General Catherine Hanaway Formally Sworn In As Missouri’s 45th Attorney General

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Today, Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway was ceremonially sworn in as the 45th Attorney General of Missouri during a ceremony in Missouri State Capitol. Hanaway, who is the first woman to serve as Missouri Attorney General, was surrounded by family, colleagues, and friends as she took the oath of office administered by Hon. Kelly Broniec, Judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri.

“Serving as Missouri’s Attorney General is the highest honor of my career,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “Our Office stands ready to defend the rule of law, protect our citizens, and ensure that justice is applied equally and fairly throughout this great state. I am deeply grateful to the people of Missouri for their trust and to the many mentors, colleagues, and friends who have guided me along the way.”

The ceremony began with a welcome by Lowell Pearson, General Counsel for the Office of the Governor, who previously worked alongside Attorney General Hanaway at Husch Blackwell LLP. Dr. Tory Baucum, professor at Benedictine College, delivered the invocation.

Speakers at the ceremony included U.S. Congresswoman Ann Wagner, former U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, and Governor Mike Kehoe, each reflecting on Hanaway’s decades of public service and her steadfast commitment to the rule of law.

Following the administration of the oath, Attorney General Hanaway delivered her formal remarks, pledging to uphold the U.S. and Missouri Constitutions and to continue her Office’s mission to protect Missourians, enforce the law, preserve public trust, and stand up for the Constitution and everything it represents.

“Put simply, our job is to go after the bad guys and to protect the good guys from government overreach,” Attorney General Hanaway continued. “People often ask me what it means to be the first woman to serve as Missouri’s Attorney General. To me, it means the American promise is still alive. You can work hard, dream big, and grow up to be whatever you want to be.”

Attorney General Hanaway first entered public service as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, where she made history as the first and only woman elected Speaker of the House. In that role, she advanced legislation to strengthen public safety, protect Second Amendment rights, and promote government accountability, establishing her reputation as a strong defender of Missourians’ freedoms.

Attorney General Hanaway previously served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. She personally tried cases to jury verdicts and led the development of new prosecution strategies in complex healthcare, fraud, and white-collar crime cases. As the chief federal law enforcement officer for the region, she supervised more than 4,000 criminal and civil cases, along with a staff of more than 100 attorneys and investigators.

Before taking office, Attorney General Hanaway led Husch Blackwell LLP, a national law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers headquartered in Kansas City, as the first woman to become Chair of the firm. She built a reputation for excellence in handling high-stakes litigation, including cases involving fraud, financial misconduct, and regulatory compliance. Her leadership helped guide the firm through record growth.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Creighton University and received a Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

Attorney General Hanaway resides in St. Louis with her husband, Chris, and is a devoted mother to two children, Lucy and John. She has been deeply involved in her community through service on civic and professional boards, including serving as the Chair of the Regional Business Council and as a member of the St. Louis Regional Crime Commission Board.

Photos from the swearing-in ceremony are available on the Missouri Attorney General’s Flickr page.