Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway
JEFFERSON CITY — Catherine L. Hanaway was sworn in Tuesday morning as Missouri’s 45th Attorney General during a private ceremony at the Missouri Supreme Court Building.
The ceremony was marked by a personal touch, as Hanaway took the oath of office on her son John’s Bible.
The oath was administered by Judge Ginger K. Gooch of the Supreme Court of Missouri, a former law partner of Hanaway’s.
“It is an honor and privilege to serve as Missouri’s 45th Attorney General,” Hanaway said following the ceremony. “I view this position as a job to fight crime, protect Missouri families, and defend the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution.”
Hanaway said is looking forward to getting started.
“My commitment is to serve Missourians by enforcing the law as written and upholding the rule of law,” she said. “There is much to do, and I am ready to begin.”
Hanaway noted that her priorities will include public safety, consumer protection and safeguarding vulnerable Missourians from fraud and abuse.
She pledged to defend both the U.S. and Missouri Constitutions, pursue justice for victims of violence, root out corruption and oppose schemes that put Missourians’ livelihoods at risk.
The new attorney general has built her professional career around protecting families and public service.
She first entered public office as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, where she became the first and only woman to serve as Speaker of the House.
In that role, Hanaway advanced legislation aimed at strengthening public safety, protecting Second Amendment rights and increasing government accountability. Her tenure established her reputation as a defender of Missourians’ freedoms.
Hanaway’s public service extended to the federal level when she was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.
In that position, Hanaway personally tried cases to jury verdicts and helped develop new prosecution strategies for complex cases involving healthcare, fraud and white-collar crime.
She oversaw more than 4,000 criminal and civil cases and led a team of more than 100 attorneys and investigators as the region’s top federal law enforcement officer.
Outside of government service, Hanaway gained recognition in private practice as chair of Husch Blackwell, a national law firm headquartered in Kansas City with more than 1,000 attorneys. She was also the first woman to hold that position.
During her tenure, she handled high-stakes litigation in areas such as fraud, financial misconduct and regulatory compliance, while guiding the firm through a period of record growth.
Hanaway’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts from Creighton University and a law degree from The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law.
She currently lives in St. Louis with her husband, Chris, and their two children, Lucy and John.
Alongside her professional career, Hanaway has been active in civic and professional organizations, including serving as Chair of the Regional Business Council and as a member of the St. Louis Regional Crime Commission Board.
Hanaway is taking over to Andrew Bailey, who announced his resignation last month as he accepted a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as deputy director.
