Judge David Mason

Judge Mason is a 1983 graduate of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, and a 1980 graduate of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. He was appointed a Circuit Judge in August of 1991 at the age of 35 and presides over major civil and criminal trials. Judge Mason was elected to the American Law Institute in 1996 and served from 1996 to 2001 as a member of the National board of directors of the American Judicature Society. He has also served for over 30 years as an adjunct professor of law at Washington University. In 1992, Judge Mason became the first recipient of the Austin Peay State University Outstanding Young Alumnus Award and in 1999 became the first recipient of the Washington University School of Law Distinguished Young Alumnus Award. Active in numerous civic organizations, Judge Mason received the Thomas D. Cochran Award for community service from the Missouri Bar in 1991, the Excellence in Leadership Award from the Inter-religious and International Federation for World Peace in 2003, and is a life member of the National Urban League. The Stetson University School of Law in Florida gave him it’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement in Teaching Trial Advocacy.

As a founding member and Vice Chairman of the St. Louis Convention Center and Sports Complex Authority, he led the Authority on the issue of racial inclusion in the building of the football stadium. Ultimately the $265 million stadium was built with 25% minority participation. Mason has advanced the cause of minority participation while serving on numerous boards including the St. Louis Public Library, Affordable Housing Commission and RISE Community Development Corporation.